Missouri
Missouri VFW inspected by state regulators as part of ban on intoxicating hemp products • Missouri Independent
Not long after Commander Jason Stanfield had lowered the flag Tuesday to honor the lives lost on Sept. 11 at his Franklin County VFW Post, he learned state food inspectors had arrived.
“It’s not an easy day,” Stanfield said. “9/11 is a tough day for all of us, particularly for veterans. I was not in the best mindset.”
The regulators said they had received a complaint that the post’s bar had been selling seltzers that contain hemp-derived THC — which has the same intoxicating effect as THC from marijuana that’s sold at dispensaries.
The bar was selling a brand of fruity seltzers called UR Lit, which contains 5mg of Delta-9 THC.
While hemp is federally legal, Missouri recently joined a growing number of states trying to ban all intoxicating hemp products.
When Gov. Mike Parson signed his executive order on Aug. 1 to ban the products, he said his primary focus was to protect children consuming the products that resemble popular candy, like Lifesavers, or fruity drinks.
Given the governor’s goal, Stanfield said he was surprised the state wanted to inspect the post, where members are well over 21.
“There’s not a whole lot of kids that run around the VFW,” he said.
Since the ban went into effect on Sept. 1, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services officials have inspected 74 establishments and found intoxicating products at 42 of them, said Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the department.
On a social media post on Wednesday, Stanfield described the inspection as a “raid,” but Cox said that description is “misleading” because there were just two inspectors responding to a complaint.
“The two inspectors were let inside through a locked door upon request,” Cox said, “but quickly recognized that the VFW Post did not pose an immediate cause for concern, specifically in regard to Missouri children. As a result, zero product was embargoed or destroyed.”
Cox said the department has “no plans in place of returning to the establishment.”
Hemp and marijuana are essentially terms the government uses to distinguish between the part of the cannabis plant that can get you high when smoked – that’s marijuana – and the part that can’t — that’s hemp.
But with a little science and extraction, people can enhance the small amount of the naturally occurring THC, or the psychoactive component, in hemp to make edibles and drinks.
Because hemp isn’t a controlled substance like marijuana, there’s no state or federal law saying teenagers or children can’t buy products, such as delta-8 drinks, or that stores can’t sell them to minors, Parson said.
And there’s no requirement to list potential effects on the label or test how much THC is actually in them. State lawmakers have failed to pass such requirements the last two years.
Stanfield said the state ban is harmful for VFW members who are trying to recover from alcoholism or opioid addiction.
“I have testimony after testimony in my post alone of people that are still alive today,” Stanfield said, “because they use cannabis to get off of their opioids that they were addicted to.”
During the inspection, he said the DHSS employees told him that the drinks were considered “adulterated.” If a product is considered adulterated, DHSS has the authority to embargo it – which means put a tag on it until the department gets a court order to destroy it.
Stanfield points to the state law that says, “a food shall not be considered adulterated solely for containing industrial hemp, or an industrial hemp commodity or product.”
That line was added to Missouri’s law in 2018, after Congress legalized hemp as part of the federal Farm Bill. It was part of a Missouri House bill that brought the state’s definition of hemp in alignment with the federal government’s.
It is the same law fueling the Missouri Hemp Trade Association’s lawsuit against the governor’s ban.
“I will continue to comply with federal law and sell these products until they’re not legal,” Stanfield said, “to give my veterans a non-alcoholic option in a place where they can come and be with other veterans and not have to consume alcohol.”
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 7 drawing
02-31-35-36-63, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 1-3-9
Midday Wild: 5
Evening: 8-5-4
Evening Wild: 0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 8-1-4-4
Midday Wild: 0
Evening: 2-6-7-0
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 7 drawing
Early Bird: 09
Morning: 08
Matinee: 15
Prime Time: 01
Night Owl: 10
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from July 7 drawing
12-16-17-28-31
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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Updated:
GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (WDAF) – Authorities said an explosion reported early Tuesday morning was caused by a school employee hitting a firework with a lawn mower in Missouri.
According to the Grain Valley Police Department, officers responded shortly after 7 a.m. to an area near Grain Valley South Middle School, about 23 miles east of Kansas City, for a reported explosion and a person with injuries.
After arriving at the scene, law enforcement discovered a Grain Valley School District employee had been mowing near the school when they struck an apparent explosive device. The explosion caused damage to the mower, and the employee was originally reported to have suffered minor injuries.
Authorities later said the employee is reported to be in good condition with no injuries.
⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com
The area surrounding the school was blocked to the public for three hours to ensure there were no additional devices or safety concerns. The roads have since reopened, and investigators said there is no known threat to the public.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been called to the scene to help with the investigation.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) -Missouri teachers are criticizing Gov. Mike Kehoe’s plan to assign A-F letter grades to the state’s public and charter schools, saying the money would be better spent on classroom learning.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education submitted the proposed A-F School Grading Framework to the governor’s office in response to his January executive order. The order directs DESE to create yearly A-F grade cards reflecting student outcomes.
Under the framework, DESE would produce annual grade cards for districts, schools, and charter schools. Grades would be based on scores from students’ Missouri Assessment Program tests and college-readiness exams, including the ACT and SAT.
For Kindergarten through middle schools, grades would factor in student academic achievement, value-added growth, and growth toward proficiency in English Language Arts, literacy, mathematics, and science. High school grades would also include Success Ready Graduate measures and four-year graduation rates.
DESE Interim Commissioner of Education Stacey Preis, PhD, said the framework is designed to give families a clearer picture of school performance.
“The goal for the A–F school grading framework is to provide families and communities with a simple, comparable, and rigorous picture of school performance,” Preis said.DESE plans to present the proposal to the State Board of Education in August. If approved, schools could receive their first grades under the new system in the spring of 2027. The plan remains subject to change based on any revisions requested during the review process.
Setting up the program would cost $1.2 million in the first year and $715,000 each year after that. That money has not been allocated in the current state budget. That money was not allocated in the fiscal year 2027 state budget, which began July 1. The Missouri State Teachers Association said the funds should go elsewhere.
“We’re currently underfunding schools by almost $200 million, and so I think priority number one should be to make sure that we’re fully funding schools to meet the needs of those students,” said Matt Michelson of the Missouri State Teachers Association.
Michelson also questioned the emphasis on standardized testing.
“I think Missourians have wanted to move away from high-stakes testing, and to place even more emphasis on those one-time statewide tests is really concerning for a community as they look at how they can best educate their students,” Michelson said.
Kehoe said the grading system is about transparency and improvement, not punishment.
“It’s not to admonish any school; it’s to give everybody a target on how do you all get to a better level,” Kehoe said. “You have to know where you stand if you’re going to improve, and you have to have some sort of measuring tool, and that’s what A through F is.”
A bill to codify the plan into state law failed during the most recent legislative session. Kehoe said he wants to see it return.
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Copyright 2026 KY3. All rights reserved.
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