The battle for hemp is underway in Texas. THC bars are non-alcoholic social hubs in certain cities, while popular restaurants add infused drinks to the specials list. This space has been widely supported by Texans, but it may be coming to an end soon.
State lawmakers seek an overall ban on the quickly blossoming hemp space with Senate Bill 3. This is accompanied by House Bill 28, which would ban almost all of these products, aside from drinks, if passed. These moves seem to come despite the popular opinion expressed in polls collected over the last few weeks.
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Baselice & Associates, Inc. released a voter survey in which 68 percent of Texans admitted they support responsibly regulated hemp THC in the state. Only 20 percent of the 600 people polled were in favor of the total ban. This resounding support for the intoxicating products was echoed in a House State Affairs Committee that covered the topic on Monday.
Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) president and CEO of hemp company Hometown Hero, Cynthia Cabrera, released statements on the testimony shared at the committee and the implications of a potential ban to GreenState.
“Yesterday’s testimony confirms what we’ve known all along, Texans support regulation, not prohibition,” Cabrera said, “During a span of 19 hours, we’ve heard from hundreds of business owners, scientists, doctors, nurses, economists, lawyers, farmers, academics and veterans, all asking the House to vote no on these two pieces of legislation that essentially will wipe out an industry that is critical to the Texas economy.”
The hemp market has created jobs, stirred up additional tax revenue, and created the most monitored legal access to THC in the state to date. HB1325 regulated hemp in the state and has a stringent set of testing and manufacturing standards that advocates against the bans believe serve as enough consumer protection. Those for the bans believe that the products still have harmful ingredients, and unchecked sales could put them in the eye line of children.
Lawmakers will debate both bills on the House floor before bringing them to a vote. If SB3 passes, it will head to the Governor’s desk. HB28 is on its way to the Senate floor. If successful, this process returns the bill to the House State Affairs Committee to repeat the approval process once more.
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Advocates like Cabrera and the hundreds of businesses that shared testimony against the bans hope that the Texas House sides with the voter majority. THBC polled those who attended the committee hearing, finding 536 people against HB28, 56 in favor, and seven that remained neutral. As for SB3, 518 were against, 19 were in favor, and 21 were neutral on the outcome of the bill.
“The future of Texas hemp is at stake, let’s get it right,” Cabrera concluded.
