Texas Hemp Shops Face Crackdown, March 31st Deadline

0:00It's March 29th. Welcome to El Paso News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story. Texas Hemp shops and growers are gearing up for big changes as new state rules kick in on March 31st. The Department of State Health Services is cracking down on consumable hemp products, mainly by folding THCA into the total THC cap at 0.3% of dry weight. That means no more selling THCA flour after April, since it turns into intoxicating Delta 9 THC when heated. This all stems from a wild legislative fight last session, where a full hemp band got bounced around before Governor Greg Abbott killed it with a veto. Instead, he dropped an executive order, pushing tougher packaging, sky-high licensing fees, more inspections, and these strict lab tests. Business owners like Luke Temple at TNT Roots are feeling the squeeze hard. They can still push dog treats, tinctures, and gummies, but flower heads out of state now. Licensing costs jump from a few hundred bucks to $15,000 total for retail and manufacturing,

1:05hitting longtime growers who've sunk. Years and cash in to Texas soil. Farmers are eyeing a pivot to industrial hemp, but execs say switching costs is much as starting fresh, dooming most outfits to struggle or shut down. Staff who move back home for this dream are watching investments vanish quick. Everyone's holding breath till March 31st hits, wondering if non-flower stuff can keep lights on, or if the whole scene crumbles under these. Regs.