Texas House passes bill to ban THC products, sparking debate over hemp industry’s future.
SAN ANTONIO — Texas lawmakers are on the verge of banning THC products. Thursday, the Texas House passed SB 3, which would only allow hemp retailers to sell CBD or CBG.
Products like Delta 9 and Delta 10 started popping up in gas stations and at smoke shops following the 2019 Texas farm bill.
“House bill 1325 was never intended to legalize intoxicating THC products, it was intended to support farmers and promote an industrial hemp market that was designed to promote the development of non-consumable hemp products like fiber, rope and textiles,” Representative Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress) said.
The Houston-area republican drew support from both sides of aisle to amend SB 3 to ban the products Wednesday night.
“We are not banning hemp,” Oliverson said. “We are banning high.”
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick helped lead the way in move to dismantle the hemp industry. He posted a nearly 8-minute video on X Wednesday calling for the ban.
“Just in the last three years, over 8,000 plus smoke shops and vape shops have opened up in Texas. It’s now an 8-billion-dollar industry and where did the open up? Within a 1,000, 2,000 feet of schools,” Patrick said.
Patrick argued the industry is preying on children. In San Antonio, city council recently voted to prohibit new smoke shops from opening near schools.
However, the move will impact hundreds of businesses in San Antonio. Makram Hijaz is the owner of Hazel Sky Smoke Shop. He has 13 locations throughout the city and several throughout the state. Hijaz said up to 30 percent of his sales are from THC products.
“We pay taxes on these sales, and nobody has an issue with the Texas government to come in and regulating things and taxing things and enforcing things,” Hijaz said. “You know that’s exactly what we want in this industry, we’re not against that at all.”
According to a study by Whitney Economics, the hemp industry has employed more than 50,000 people and generated 7 billion in tax revenue each year.
In San Antonio, there are more than 200 smoke shops.
Hijaz said he is not concerned about shutting down his shops. However, he said he is worried about the smaller businesses.
“We’re talking about a lot of jobs and lot of people’s livelihoods that are going to be lost,” Hijaz said.
Patrick, along with Representative Oliverson, said they do not have the resources to regulate.
However, in Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey recently signed a law that would allow the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control board to regulate the products.
“Just like alcohol when it was prohibited, it didn’t go anywhere,” Hijaz said. “It’s the same thing, let’s just get on board like other states.”
The bill will need to be reviewed by the senate before it heads to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk.
If it is signed into law, it would go into effect Sept. 1. Adults who are caught with THC products could face up to a year in prison, which is a harsher penalty compared to possessing up to two ounces of marijuana.