HOUSE SPRINGS 鈥 A skunky smell wafted through a Jefferson County event hall on a recent afternoon as customers perused folding tables lined with jars of marijuana, pipes and home-baked cannabis cookies.
A sign taped to the door of the pop-up 狐狸视频 Canna Expo event forbade the sale of marijuana鈥檚 psychoactive component.
鈥淣o THC sales,鈥 it read.
But inside the event, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in House Springs, the message was clear: Yes, THC sales.
Most vendors listed the amount of THC in their products. Some asked for donations instead of setting a specific price. In all, organizers say the expo鈥檚 largest two-day events in the spring and the fall had about 2,400 attendees apiece.
Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana last year. But it鈥檚 still illegal to buy THC products anywhere but state-licensed dispensaries that are required to pay taxes and follow strict facility and testing regulations. Home growers still can鈥檛 legally sell their wares.
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Still, the 狐狸视频 Canna Expo is among a growing number of pop-up marijuana markets across the state where unregulated THC products are sold in the open by home growers and unlicensed small businesses.
It鈥檚 a trend that鈥檚 attracted plenty of customers 鈥 and concern from the state鈥檚 legal cannabis industry, regulators, local law enforcement and some residents.
Jack Cardetti, a spokesman for the Missouri Cannabis Trade Organization, said the trade group is concerned about the impact these sales will have on cannabis businesses that are following the law.
鈥淲e support the ability for Missouri patients and adults to grow their own medicine in a regulated, common-sense way,鈥 he said in a written statement. 鈥淏ut we worry the increasing and omnipresent commercialization of these home grows will undermine support for legalization and the legal cannabis program, because frankly what is taking place right now is definitely not what Missourians voted for.鈥
Cardetti argued the state health department鈥檚 Division of Cannabis Regulation needs to do more to curb home-grow sales.
鈥淥ur industry is arguably one of the most heavily regulated in the state, yet there seems to be very little regulatory oversight of the commercialization of these home grows,鈥 he wrote.
Joe Lucas, organizer of the 狐狸视频 Canna Expo, said he saw a need for an event for home growers looking to share their craft, but he pointed to his 鈥渘o THC sales鈥 rule as a step toward making his event compliant with state law. He announced the rule the day before the latest expo on Dec. 16 but declined to elaborate on the legality of his event or what prompted the new rule.
鈥淚 got a lot of pushback from the home growers about that rule, but we want to move to the legal side of things,鈥 he said.
Lisa Cox, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said the department is concerned about the safety of these events because, unlike legal dispensaries, the sellers aren鈥檛 following requirements to test their products for potency, contaminants or safety. Legal dispensary products are also tracked to ensure they don鈥檛 prop up criminal enterprises, she said.
But, Cox said, regulators with the state health department can only revoke marijuana business licenses. Unlicensed businesses, like many at pop-up events, would need to be investigated by law enforcement, she said in a written statement.
Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak argues putting the onus on local law enforcement is not realistic.
鈥淭he state鈥檚 crime labs won鈥檛 even test marijuana anymore, it鈥檚 become so commonplace,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e have to focus on the more serious controlled substances. We were sold on the idea that there would be controls in place with recreational legalization, so the state health department needs to play a bigger role.鈥
And residents like Michael Rangel, 37, have complained about the surprise of having pop-up marijuana sales near their homes. Rangel鈥檚 yard neighbors the 狐狸视频 Canna Expo鈥檚 鈥渟moking porch.鈥
鈥淭here are kids in this neighborhood, and I think it鈥檚 a safety issue,鈥 Rangel said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all buying drugs, getting high and driving through here. I don鈥檛 care if they want to do this 鈥 just don鈥檛 do it here.鈥
Marshak said he plans to work with Jefferson County officials and state lawmakers to find ways to control the local pop-up events.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just here,鈥 he said. 鈥淓vents like these are advertised all over the state. ... They create a real risk to the end user. There鈥檚 no way to know what you鈥檙e buying.鈥