() A bill that would ban products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is now on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk after its approval from the state Senate late Sunday, and lawmakers have said they believe the bill will protect children.
“We can’t regulate it,” said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. “We don’t have enough police to check every store, when there are 8 to 9,000 of them … To put it into perspective, we only have 1,100 McDonald’s in the state of Texas, 1,300 Starbucks in the state of Texas. So, there are eight times more smoke shops selling this poison.”
The bill comes alongside a push by Texas Republicans to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana program.
Under the ban, possession of hemp products would carry a dramatically stricter penalty a year in jail. The rule fixes a loophole in the state’s 2019 Consumable Hemp Law that did not allow products to contain more than trace amounts of delta-9 THC, nor establish that same threshold for other hemp derivatives.
While state government officials argue the bill would safeguard children, the ban’s economic impact could be devastating for the state. The hemp industry contributes $10.2 billion to Texas’ economy, according to Whitney Economics.
Some local business owners have argued the bill is an “overreach.”
“It’s about $268 million in tax revenue that it’s going to deplete,” said Jennifer Garza, owner of CBD American Shaman. “And again, 53,000 Texans are going to be without a job. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. I’m thinking about my customers, the veterans, all the business owners that are going to lose their jobs.”
In passing the ban, Texas joins several states including Colorado, Iowa, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska that have banned or restricted intoxicating forms of hemp, or the compounds derived from it.
If signed by Abbott, the bill would take effect in September. Shops and business owners would have until January to fully comply. Lawmakers also agreed to expand Texas’s “Compassionate Use Program,” which allows those with specific conditions to use low-level THC products.
