Austin, Texas – Texas lawmakers are once again stirring up intense debate with a renewed effort to crack down on THC. During the current special legislative session, a new proposal called House Bill 5 (HB5) was filed. It is quite similar to an earlier Senate proposal called Senate Bill 5. The aim of both bills is clear: limit the sale of consumable hemp products in Texas to only those containing CBD or CBG, effectively outlawing products with THC content.
This current action is just another chapter in a year that has been mostly about political fights over how to regulate cannabis in the state. Business owners and cannabis supporters are both concerned regarding the law, saying that it might hurt the future of an industry that is already worth billions to the state’s economy. As House Bill 5 gets more attention, a lot of people are still on edge and don’t know what will happen next.
A big bill that would have banned low-THC products made it all the way to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk earlier this year. The governor, on the other hand, vetoed it instead of signing it. Abbott thought that a complete ban was going too far, so he told lawmakers to pursue a more cautious approach that focuses on regulation instead of prohibition. He suggested that alcohol regulations could be a good model for monitoring and asked for a system that incorporates controls for packaging, age limits, and safety.
Even though the governor is against it, lawmakers are moving forward with plans that get closer to banning it. Senate Bill 5, which was introduced earlier in the special session, has already passed through committee and is waiting for more debate when the Senate meets again. House Bill 5, which has the same restrictive language, has not yet been placed before a committee for discussion.
There is yet a glimmer of hope for people who don’t want a THC ban. Along with the more extreme initiatives, there have been other legislative ideas that are more in line with Governor Abbott’s view for how to regulate things. These other options focus on important issues like proper labeling, packaging that can’t be tampered with, and limiting sales to people over 21. The goal is to make the market safer and more transparent without completely cutting off access.
But there isn’t much time. The law says that the special session can only last 30 days. Lawmakers have a little amount of time to come to an agreement because there are a lot of issues in play and the public is watching closely. The outcome might decide if Texas keeps going down a road of regulation or makes a sharp turn toward prohibition. No matter what, the next few weeks will be very important for the future of hemp and THC products in the state.
