The new federal rules would take effect in 2026, giving businesses roughly a year to adapt. But for many, that may not be enough time.
SAN ANTONIO — Texas hemp shop owners are fighting for the survival of their businesses after Congress passed a federal spending bill that includes a sweeping ban on most hemp-derived THC products.
The provision, tucked inside the bill used to reopen the government, prohibits the sale of any hemp consumable containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container—effectively outlawing many gummies, drinks, vapes and other popular products.
For many Texas store owners, those items make up the majority of their sales.
Richard Tisdale, owner of Texas Vape off Austin Highway in San Antonio, is stunned by the decision and worried about how his shop will survive. The store was hit by masked thieves back in September who stole more than $20,000 in merchandise.
Tisdale said this new challenge with a prospective ban could spell disaster for the future of business and his employees.
“It’s put us in a real bad spot. I’ll be out of business,” Tisdale said. “I can handle break-ins, that I can handle. It’s the politicians I can’t handle.”
The new federal rules would take effect in 2026, giving businesses roughly a year to adapt. But for many, that may not be enough time.
Romish Abdulrashid, who owns multiple Emerald Forest CBD locations and several hemp companies across the country, noted the ban could devastate his workforce of nearly a hundred employees.
“In a year from now, there’s going to be a lot of changes happening,” Abdulrashid said. “If a store primarily sells hemp, like 80% (of their sales), guess what? In a year from now, that 80% is going to get lost. That store will not be able to survive.”
Abdulrashid said pure CBD products, which contain little to no THC, only represent 5% to 10% of his business and would not sustain his operations on their own.
The Texas Hemp Business Council estimates the federal provision could wipe out a $10.2 billion industry in Texas alone if lawmakers do not intervene to enact change. The organization, alongside other national hemp advocates, plans to push Washington lawmakers to revise or remove the ban before it takes effect.
Advocates argue the change could not only shutter businesses, but also cost thousands of Texans their jobs.