Increasingly popular edibles, seltzers, pre-rolls and topicals — targeted by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a bill ultimately vetoed — will be illegal under federal law.
DALLAS — The “legal high” increasingly enjoyed by tens of thousands of Texans was banned as part of the deal to reopen the federal government earlier this week, casting doubt on the future of hundreds of hemp and THC businesses across the state.
The bill signed by President Trump earlier this week that reopened the federal government also included a ban on hemp products with THC levels above 0.4mg, which includes nearly all products sold at hemp stores in Texas. The ban would go into effect next November.
“99% of products would be gone because of the low threshold they set,” said Shan Claudio, who runs the Dallas Hemp Co. near White Rock Lake. “Effectively, it would make what we’re selling a felony. It doesn’t matter what it is. Our lotions, our oils, we have so many products that would be illegal.”
Supporters of the provision in the bill argue it eliminates a 2018 loophole that legalized the intoxicating substances. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick pushed for similar legislation in Texas earlier this year, but Governor Greg Abbott vetoed it.
“I believe this ban will save a generation from getting hooked on dangerous drugs,” Patrick wrote on social media.
Dozens of attorneys general signed a letter last month warning the loophole had been “wrongly exploited by bad actors to sell recreational synthetic THC products across the country.”
But hemp has become a big business across the nation and in Texas. The Texas Hemp Business Council said the hemp industry is worth billions in Texas.
If the ban goes into effect, Claudio said his business — and hundreds of others — would have to shut down.
“We’re not giving up, we’ve already been reaching out to people saying this is another blow, and we’ve been through this since 2018,” he said. “Every time we turn around, there was another ban introduced.”