Cannabis is legal across much of the country, whether it be for medical or adult use, but some holdout states remain. Possession and sale remain illegal in much of Texas outside of the highly restrictive medical program.
While their ballots have not yet breached the topic of adult use, multiple cities have moved to decriminalize in the last few years. Texans are also widely supporting hemp THC businesses and offerings. Both have come much to the chagrin of a few key lawmakers–but the head honcho may disagree.
Texans want legal weed, lawmakers may not
A recent University of Houston poll indicated that adult voters on both sides of the political spectrum are heavily in favor of legalizing the plant entirely. However, some who could make that happen don’t seem to be on board.
Attorney General Ken Paxton served lawsuits to each city that enacted voter-approved decriminalization, citing a breach of federal law. However, this is the least of local stoners’ worries. The more pressing matter relates to Senate Bill 3, a legislative initiative that hopes to quash the Texas hemp THC industry altogether.
The hemp industry began to balloon after the Texas legislature allowed for commercialized hemp production and sale with the passage of House Bill 1325. This law specified that products must contain 0.3 percent THC or lower, but many retailers are finding ways to manufacture intoxicating hemp within the confines of that law.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, the first champion of the anti-hemp efforts, cites concern that the products are marketed to children. He is also worried about the impact of potency levels for all ages.
Those circumstances are a valid public health risk, but a ban may not be the answer. A Whitney Economics report indicated that the Texas hemp space provided 50,000 jobs and generated over $8B in revenue last year. Regulating the economic pillar may be more helpful than attempting to eradicate it. This could be why banning hemp was not on the list of emergency items released by Governor Gregg Abbott in early February.
Governor unconcerned with hemp industry
In his State of the State Address, Abbott announced cyber security and education-related emergency items, but no mention of pot, hemp, or THC. Withholding hemp or cannabis from the list may indicate that the governor’s office is less concerned than the AG of the Lieutenant Governor.
The showdown for legal weed is just heating up in the Lone Star state. While many visit legal dispensaries with an array of novel edibles and strains, Texans are hoping to hold onto a hemp industry in its infancy. Only time will tell which way the scales will tip.
