Police chief: To protect kids, regulate Delta-8 like other intoxicants

being marketed to Missouri children. This proposed law would place the Missouri Department of Health in charge of regulating these like we currently do for the other legal THC product in Missouri, marijuana.

Just a couple weeks ago, six Missouri elementary school students got high and were sent home after eating what they thought were Nerds Rope Bites, but were actually intoxicating Delta-8 products. Every day that goes by without restricting the unregulated sale of these products opens the door to serious consequences.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 984 with a unanimous 7-0 vote last month, and the House Public Safety Committee is expected to vote soon on HB 1781. Thankfully the Public Safety Committee is chaired by one of law enforcement's greatest champions in the legislature, Rep. Lane Roberts from Joplin.

The gas station lobby and others are trying to dilute these regulations by amending the bills with vague and inconsistent language. While law enforcement is still dealing with an ongoing opioid crisis and continuous fentanyl overdose deaths, we cannot afford to allow one more thing to poison our youth. It's time for Missouri lawmakers to do their part to help protect the health and safety of Missourians, especially our children. Please give us in law enforcement the tools we need to address this threat by passing robust regulation that treat these intoxicating products exactly like we do marijuana.

Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams is a board member of the Law Enforcement Legislative Coalition.