Springfield City officials advance plan for ordinance to bar sale of synthetically derived cannabinoid products

Springfield City officials on June 16 discussed a proposed ordinance that would ban the manufacture, sale and public display of synthetically derived cannabinoid products — including items marketed with delta‑8 and delta‑10 — citing health risks and marketing that appears to target children.

The proposal, presented by Commissioner Helen Carlton Harris of the Department of Health and Human Services, seeks to give city enforcement teams authority to remove unregulated products from retail shelves and issue civil fines to sellers. City attorneys and public‑safety staff urged the City Council to adopt local rules while related state legislation remains uncertain.

City public‑health leaders described the products as unregulated and potentially dangerous. "We do not know what is being sold as far as cannabinoids are concerned," Commissioner Helen Carlton Harris said, listing clinical risks she said are associated with the products: "These products can cause agitation, confusion, seizures, and stroke," and she added psychological effects such as hallucinations and psychosis. Harris said the products are often packaged and marketed alongside familiar snack items in ways that can attract children.

Steve Bonacone, City Solicitor, advised the…