REEFERFRONT TIMES 31

Missouri Considers Open Container Law for Marijuana

Still no container law on the books for alcohol, though

Written by MONICA OBRADOVIC

AMissouri bill would make driving with marijuana in a container that’s not child- or odor-proof a crime punishable with up to one year in jail.

Representative Kent Haden (RMexico) says he filed the bill “due to public safety concerns” after the legalization of adult-use marijuana in Missouri.

House Bill 295 has so far gone no further than a single hearing. But if passed, it would require both drivers and their passengers to store marijuana in a “secured,” odor-proof and sealable child-proof container. It mirrors a similar law in Illinois that requires drivers to keep marijuana in a sealed, odor-proof and childresistant container.

Amendment 3, now Article 14 of the state Constitution, green lights possessing up to three ounces of cannabis at a time. It does not require marijuana to be transported in any special containers.

In an email to the RFT, Haden criticized the initiative that passed last November with 53 percent of the vote. With the amendment so “broad but vague,” Haden says, “What can the legislature do to protect public safety?”

Haden’s bill drew pushback from some supporters of Amendment 3.

“While driving under the influence of marijuana is strictly prohibited, we believe law-abiding citizens need a way to safely and compliantly be able to transport a small amount of this legal product to and from the privacy of their home, which the overly broad lan-

[WEED NEWS]

Hello Juice Launches CBD Shots

The juices offer health benefits including pain management and reducing inflammation

Written by JESSICA ROGEN

The benefits of CBD were clear to Hello Juice co-owner Jon Maness.

A long-distance runner and CrossFit enthusiast in his 40s, he noticed that he was reaching for the pain pill bottle more often than he would like. Then he got a recommendation to try out cannabidiol, more often known by its shortened name, CBD.

This proved to be a revelation for Maness. “It’s absolutely phenomenal for me with inflammation and then post-work- guage in HB 295 would prevent in many instances,” says Jack Cardetti, spokesperson for cannabis association MoCannTrade.

John Payne, manager of the campaign that won Amendment 3’s passage, says it’d be up to the courts to decide whether Haden’s bill violates the state constitution. But the bill could get tricky for people transporting cannabis plants that they are now legally allowed to grow on their own — plants that do not fit into commercial packaging. Of the packaging demanded in Haden’s plan, Payne says, “That’s just not how it works.”

“I don’t think there’s a right by the legislature to impose that on people as long as they’re within the possession limits and properly obeying the rules of how they cultivate it,” Payne says. “They should be entitled to have that on their person or property in pretty much whatever way they want.”

The bill would treat the conveyance of marijuana more strictly than alcohol. Missouri, unusually, has no statewide open container law. And depending on the municipality, non-driving passengers may also be allowed to possess an open container of alcohol and drink it while in a vehicle.

“We’d be treating marijuana more stringently than we do alcohol,” Payne says.

The bill would apply to most public roadways, including highways and alleys. Violations could result in a class A misdemeanor charge, punishable with up to one year in jail, a $2,000 fine or both. n out soreness and then sleep,” he says. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with ibuprofen, but I was looking for something that was a little more natural and a little more in line with what I do.”

Hello Juice continues to carry the shots and stocks Beleaf’s CBD oil, which can be added to any existing product.

There are three juice shots in the line: The “Yo-Yo” for energy includes beets, pineapple, ginger, lemon, guarana and 25 milligrams of CBD. Maness says that guarana gives energy in a way that’s similar to coffee but metabolized differently.

The “Rescue Me” for calming includes 25 milligrams of CBD, pineapple, and calming and restorative ingredients such as lavender, lemon and black pepper. This one was an idea that flowed from Swade and is at the crossroads of science and home remedy.

Maness launched his version of the wellness product on April 20, when Hello Juice and Swade partnered to create Hello Swade, a line of juice shots each infused with 25 milligrams of Beleaf Life’s CBD oil. The two held a pop-up at Swade Grove Dispensary (4108 Manchester Avenue, 314924-6503).

The “Anti-Inflammatory” includes 25 milligrams of CBD, carrots, pineapple ginger and turmeric. Maness says pairing CBD with the natural anti-inflammatory turmeric was a no-brainer.

Having the wellness-focused CBD line is a natural fit for Hello Juice, Maness says.

“It’s a really good fit businesswise, and it aligns with our values,” he says. “What we do is clean and made right, and it’s all about respecting the fruits and vegetables and plants.”