In Texas, thousands of hemp shops are anxiously awaiting word from the state legislature on whether they will soon have to close.
Legislators may finally approve a ban on THC in hemp products, which would then go to the governor, who has not yet indicated whether he will sign it into law.
The bill, which has generated a lot of discussion, would make it illegal to manufacture, sell, or possess any consumable product that contains THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, even in trace amounts.
Retailers warn of losses to their businesses.
Retailers in the state, such as Dallas’s Oak Cliff Cultivators, are preparing for the consequences.
If the statewide ban takes effect, almost everything you see in this Oak Cliff hemp store—aside from the clothes—would be prohibited from sale.
Passed by the House 95-44, the bill would essentially destroy a multibillion-dollar industry that has grown since Texas legalised hemp in 2019.
Critics claim that this law created a loophole because it did not regulate other intoxicating cannabinoids like delta-8, but it did permit the sale of hemp products with low levels of delta-9 THC.
SB 3’s proponents contend that the hemp industry has not sufficiently controlled THC content or blocked minors’ access.
Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, who wrote the amendment that returned the bill to a complete ban, stated, “Let’s be clear, no social good comes from the legalisation of intoxicants.” “We are outlawing marijuana, not hemp. It is no longer legal if it makes you feel high.
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The law would impose criminal penalties of up to a year in jail for possession and up to ten years for manufacturing or selling prohibited products, with exceptions for the state’s low-THC medical cannabis program.
According to Dye, the city will move quickly if a proposed statewide ban on specific THC products is implemented.
The passage of the bill represents a significant reversal for Texas, which legalised hemp just six years ago in an effort to boost agriculture. The industry now faces an uncertain future, with tens of thousands of jobs and thousands of businesses at stake.
