LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) – Finding a solution to a problem seen across the country is leaving Texas lawmakers divided.
The Texas Senate Committee recently passed a bill that would ban all hemp products. Now the bill is waiting for a response from the House Committee.
The House is working on their own legislation that would lead to strict regulations.
This comes years after the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill, which allows the cultivation and production of hemp.
“After the passage of the Farm Bill, an unregulated THC market exploded and many unsafe products were put in the hands of Texans, and most concerning the hands of Texans children,” Ken King, the Texas House Representative over District 88.
In March the Texas Senate Committee passed Senate Bill 3. The bill bans all hemp products. Hemp is currently legal because it contains less than 0.3% of THC, a psychoactive drug. Distinguishing it from marijuana.
Now the Texas House Committee is discussing their version, House Bill 28. It would ban edible and inhalable hemp products except for beverages.
“We have to deal with not only the intoxication but the health issues, especially with our younger ones. So, the only reason we are opposing House Bill 28, we feel at this point the beverages are just another delivery system for the THC,” Steve Dye, the Texas Police Association, said.
Both laws will have an impact on the multi-billion-dollar industry, which is why some business owners voiced their concerns.
“Billions of dollars of consumer demand do not just go away. That number shows that everybody in this room has a family member, friend, or colleague that uses products like the ones that we produce. If we ban everything on the market and don’t have a solution, we are only creating a problem,” David Mukpo, CEO of Pamos Beverages, said.
Whether there are regulations in place or an all-out ban, some believe it could lead to products being sold illegally.
“I believe we do need regulations. With a ban, their products will be pushed deep underground, but the consumer demand is there, they will find those products,” Diane Eberlin, the chair for the Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives, said.
House Bill 28 proposes more regulations like the legal purchasing age being at least 21 with a valid ID and a 10 mg daily limit on the amount purchased.
The House Committee has until June to come to a decision.
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House discusses bill that would put restrictions on some THC products, after Texas Senate Committee passed a bill that bans all THC products. Read More
