Many legal Texas hemp store owners could soon face a sudden change in the way they operate their businesses. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is calling on the Senate to review and consider a ban on delta-8 and delta-9 hemp products.
In April, Patrick notified the Texas Senate to revisit a decision from 2019 that allowed hemp products containing delta-8 and delta-9 THC to become legalized. Later this month on May 29, a hearing with the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee will allow the public to comment about a ban on delta-8 and delta-9 products, to “Examine the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Texas. Make recommendations to further regulate the sale of these products, and suggest legislation to stop retailers who market these products to children.”
Texas has legalized medical cannabis for patients with a qualifying condition, but adult-use cannabis is not legal. Consumable hemp was legalized across the country when the Farm Bill was passed in 2018, and Texas legislators approved a bill to legalize the sale of consumable hemp products in June 2019 with House Bill 1325.
By 2020 the Texas Department of State Health Services had begun to register retail stores (about 1,948 at the time) for the sale of hemp-based products. According to the Texas Tribune, this increased to 8,343 by registered stores by 2023, and by April 2024, the number of registered stores has surpassed 7,700.
Currently there is no law that limits the number of hemp dispensaries that can operate through the state. In April 2023, the House approved House Bill 1805, which would have established such limits, but it didn’t get a vote in the Senate.
The House has not yet been asked to conduct a similar discussion or public hearing regarding a ban on delta-8 and delta-9 hemp products. However, it’s possible that the issue could escalate after legislators convene the legislative …
Read More
Author: Nicole Potter / High Times
