AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Legislature’s decision in 2019 to legalize hemp products across the state may soon be reversed. A new bill, Senate Bill 3, filed by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, aims to ban all hemp products in Texas.
Josh Blank, Research Director with the Texas Politics Project, said the Texas Senate will meet on Monday to discuss the bill.
“I think there’s little doubt that some version of this bill is going to pass through the Senate given that it’s a priority of the Lieutenant Governor and because it has a very high bill number,” Blank said.
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The proposed legislation has sparked controversy within the hemp industry. Cynthia Cabrera, a founding board member of the Texas Hemp Business Council, expressed concerns about the potential impact on consumers and the economy.
“Why would you take freedom of choice away from consenting adults? That’s the question,” Cabrera said.
Cabrera highlighted the significance of the hemp industry, noting it is an $8 billion sector employing approximately 50,000 people. She warned that the bill could cost the state hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.
“There are tons of Mom and Pop shops who have put their entire livelihoods and life savings into this business, and what Texas Legislature is saying about that is ‘we don’t care about that’,” Cabrera said.
Blank pointed out that these small businesses are at the heart of the controversy.
“This sort of alternative market for hemp-derived products, marijuana related products, throughout Texas in these sorts of convenience store locations is creating something of a backlash, in which we do see more Republicans now saying they’d like to see the laws made more strict,” he said.
The Texas Senate is set to discuss Senate Bill 3, followed by Senate Bill 1505, which addresses low-level medical marijuana.
The Texas Legislature’s decision in 2019 to legalize hemp products across the state may soon be reversed. A new bill, Senate Bill 3, filed by Lieutenant Governo Read More
