As businesses statewide brace for the impact of HB 2641, some believe the ban is bigger than regulation. For them, it means the closure of many alternative wellness shops and diminished relief for people who live with chronic pain.
Gov. Mike Kehoe passed the bill in April, aligning state law with the federal ban on what lawmakers call intoxicating hemp products that are sold in grocery stores, gas stations, smoke shops and more, effective Nov. 12.
Rachel Crawford, owner of Rustic Oils, a holistic CBD store in Lee’s Summit, said she has already seen the measure’s effect on consumers and farmers in her experience as a business owner.
“I’ve had people calling me crying,” Crawford said. “I’ve held people’s hands as they cried through this whole transition, which is what spurred me on to start trying to find things that are compliant so I can still bring them relief.”
