Texas Cracks Down on Hemp Products

0:00It's March 27. Dallas News Today starts now, AI-powered and ready, on Cori with the story. Starting next week, new Texas rules will crack down on smokeable hemp products by capping total THC at 0.3%. This targets the psychoactive part of cannabis and closes a loophole that let hemp to arrive versions thrive as legal alternatives to marijuana. The changes come from the Texas Department of State Health Services and will ban many popular items like rolled joints and flower buds which fill. Over half the shells in some stores, these regulations hit the hemp industry hard with steeper fees and new rules. Manufacturing licenses jumped from $258 to $10,000 per facility while retail registrations rise from $155 to $5,000. Businesses also face added costs for labeling, testing, and record keeping to stay compliant. The booming sector, which supports tens of thousands of jobs and generates $4.3 billion

1:02in yearly revenue, now braces for big losses. Critics of the loophole called it backdoor marijuana sales without lawmakers, okay, but opponents worry about store closures and folks losing access to products they use for pain relief instead of opioids. This follows a heated clash last year between Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. Senator pushed a full THC ban that passed the legislature, but Abbott vetoed it at the last minute amid outcry over economic fallout and job cuts. That veto sparked a public few between the two top leaders. Abbott promised a special session to ban sales to those under 21 and add more oversight, keeping the debate alive as these rules roll out and businesses adapt.