[Karah Rucker]

TEXAS IS TAKING THE FIRST STEP TO BAN ALL THC PRODUCTS –

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK SAYING THE SENATE WILL PUSH FOR A BAN ON ALL FORMS OF CONSUMABLE THC PRODUCTS IN THE UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

THE MOVE FOLLOWS CONCERNS FROM CONSERVATIVE STATE LAWMAKERS OVER UNREGULATED PRODUCTS FLOODING THE MARKET.

SINCE 2019 – TEXAS HAS ALLOWED THE SALE OF HEMP-DERIVED PRODUCTS, INCLUDING CBD, WITH A LEGAL THC LIMIT OF 0.3%. 

BUT PATRICK ARGUES RETAILERS HAVE EXPLOITED WHAT HE CALLS “LOOPHOLES”, SELLING PRODUCTS WITH DANGEROUSLY HIGH LEVELS OF THC—SOMETIMES UP TO FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT FOUND IN ILLEGAL MARIJUANA.

PATRICK SAYS THESE PRODUCTS, SUCH AS GUMMIES, VAPES, AND EVEN BEVERAGES, HAVE BECOME WIDELY ACCESSIBLE, OFTEN WITHOUT AGE RESTRICTIONS OR SAFETY TESTING. 

HE CLAIMS THE PRODUCTS POSE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS AND ARE BEING MARKETED TO MINORS.

CRITICS ARGUE THAT A THC BAN COULD DEVASTATE THE STATE’S GROWING HEMP INDUSTRY –

WHICH HAS BROUGHT MILLIONS IN REVENUE –

AND EMPLOYS MORE THAN 50 THOUSAND TEXANS ACROSS 7 THOUSAND REGISTERED HEMP DISPENSARIES – ACCORDING TO THE BAKER INSTITUTE.

THEY CONTEND THAT PRODUCTS LIKE DELTA-8 THC ARE SAFE WHEN USED RESPONSIBLY.

THE PUSH TO BAN THC PRODUCTS WILL BE LED BY STATE SENATOR CHARLES PERRY, WHO ALSO SPONSORED THE STATE’S 2019 HEMP LAW. 

TEXAS LAWMAKERS ARE SCHEDULED TO RECONVENE JANUARY 14, AND THE DEBATE OVER THC REGULATION WILL LIKELY BE ONE OF THE SESSION’S MOST CLOSELY WATCHED ISSUES.

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