CLAYTON — Local hemp proponents questioned a St. Louis County councilwoman’s ties to the marijuana industry this week after she proposed a ban on the sale of intoxicating hemp products in the county.
Khalil Ishtawi, a consultant who helps people start businesses to sell the hemp products, said Councilwoman Lisa Clancy’s proposal would put hemp shops in St. Louis County out of business. He pointed out that Clancy once helped facilitate dispensary licenses for the marijuana industry, which largely opposes the unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp products.
“It’s a clear conflict of interest,” Ishtawi said at Tuesday night’s council meeting, where nine people spoke against the ban. “We’re demanding a full public investigation into how this bill was written, who influenced it, who helped d