Texas

A crowd of hemp supporters descended on the Texas State Capitol building to voice their distaste for the Legislature’s efforts to heavily restrict or even ban hemp-derived THC products in the state.

The Texas Senate has passed a bill to ban products in the state that contain any amount of THC, including hemp-derived products that are legal under federal law.

A proposal in the Texas Senate would expand the state’s medical cannabis program by allowing more cannabis administration methods and change the rules to measure doses by milligrams instead of weight.

More than 60% of Texas residents support legalizing adult-use cannabis, according to a recent poll. Support was even higher for cannabis decriminalization (69%) and medical legalization (79%).

Texas’s Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller published an op-ed last week calling on lawmakers to expand the state’s medical cannabis program and support the lieutenant governor’s bid to ban intoxicating hemp products.

Texas State Rep. Jessica González (D) has introduced a broad adult-use cannabis legalization bill that would create a licensing system for cannabis businesses and impose a 10% excise tax on sales.

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R) said state lawmakers will prioritize enacting a ban next year on all THC products, including hemp-derived delta-9 and delta-8 THC products.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton this week filed a lawsuit against the city of Dallas over the city’s new, voter-backed cannabis decriminalization policy.

Voters in the Texas cities of Dallas, Bastrop, and Lockhart voted this week to decriminalize low-level cannabis possession.

The owner of a Texas smoke shop was awarded a settlement of $80,000 from the Garza County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Post following an “illegal” raid in February that seized more than $20,000 worth of legal hemp products.

A report by the Texas Department of Public Safety found the state’s medical cannabis program does not provide “statewide access” for qualifying patients and suggested that officials should take steps to expand the program’s accessibility.

Police in Allen, Texas said this week they raided nine hemp product retailers after an investigation found they were selling products containing an illegal amount of THC. An attorney representing the stores called the raid an intimidation tactic and said his clients had been operating lawfully.

Voters in Lockhart, Texas will decide this November whether police will de-prioritize cannabis enforcement; Lockhart voters will be joining Bastrop and Dallas in considering the reforms.

Voters in Bastrop, Texas are set to consider a cannabis decriminalization proposal this November after city officials certified the petition submitted earlier this year.

Officials in Dallas, Texas have given final approval to a cannabis decriminalization petition that will let voters decide this November whether to make low-level cannabis possession the city’s “lowest enforcement priority.”

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is investing in a 500,000-square-foot hemp processing facility in Wichita Falls, Texas; the facility will process hemp straw for use in textiles, straw, and pellets.

Advocates in the Texas cities of Bastrop, Dallas, and Lockhart have submitted enough signatures to put a cannabis decriminalization question before voters in each of the cities this November.

A Texas judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to nullify voter-approved local cannabis decriminalization ordinances in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos.

Dallas could be the next city in Texas to adopt local cannabis decriminalization reforms if the City Council approves the Dallas Freedom Act for local ballots later this month.

While Texas lawmakers consider banning certain hemp-derived cannabinoids, Hometown Hero — an Austin-based company retailing hemp THC and CBD products — has announced the launch of the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC), a new nonprofit hemp industry trade group.

Voters in Lubbock, Texas rejected a local cannabis decriminalization ballot measure over the weekend with nearly 65% of voters opposing the reforms.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against five Texas cities and their officials for adopting cannabis decriminalization policies, arguing these policies violate state laws and the state constitution.

Activists in Texas are suing the city of Harker Heights for failing to reform its local cannabis laws after voters approved decriminalization changes in 2022.

City Council members in Lubbock, Texas have rejected a cannabis decriminalization proposal, leaving the issue for voters to decide during next year’s election.