HOUSTON, TXAS – JUNE 24: On Thursday, June 24, 2021, in Houston, Ben Meggs, co-founder of Bayou City Hemp, holds some of the raw harvested hemp. Since Texas legalized hemp, Bayou City Hemp has emerged as one of the biggest hemp production outposts.
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While marijuana is illegal in Texas, hemp products are allowed.
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Hemp and marijuana both come from a cannabis plant, but hemp has a lower concentration of THC.
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants to make all consumable THC products illegal in the state.
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While marijuana is illegal in Texas, hemp products are allowed.
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Hemp and marijuana both come from a cannabis plant, but hemp has a lower concentration of THC.
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants to make all consumable THC products illegal in the state.
Texas:Texas law has prohibited the use or possession of marijuana since 1931; nevertheless, hemp became allowed on a federal level in 2018. House Bill 1325, which permitted the state-level commercialization of hemp, was passed by Texas in 2019.
In addition to allowing Texas companies to market low-level THC products, the law was designed to support agriculture.
Why can you still buy products containing THC in Texas?
The plants from which the legal and illicit goods are derived distinguish them from one another. Cannabis plants include both hemp and marijuana. THC levels in marijuana plants are higher than 0.3 percent. THC levels in hemp are modest, at less than 0.3 percent.
Hemp-based vapes, oils, lotions, beverages, gummies, and other cannabis-based products that contain delta-8, delta-9, or the non-intoxicating cannabidiol known as CBD are presently sold in stores in Texas. The legal limit for their THC content is 0.3 percent.
A federal court decided in May 2021 that delta-8 goods are legally classified as hemp. According to the verdict, delta-8 is now federally allowed as long as the THC content is less than 0.3 percent.
Due to a lack of testing criteria and controls, critics such as Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick claim that many products supplied in Texas contain more than the 0.3 percent limit.
GARLAND, TX-JULY 22: On Saturday, July 22, 2023, Chris Fagan, proprietor of Hippy Bee Dispensary, holds a hemp blossom in Garland, Texas. Garl conducted a raid on the Bee Hippy Hemp Dispensary and the residences of Chris Fagan and David Dranguet, who worked there.
Marijuana, hemp, CBD, and Delta-8 Differences
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Cannabis
plants are the source of both marijuana and hemp. The difference amounts to how much of the psychoactive compound THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, they contain.
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Marijuana
is classified as a cannabis plant or its derivatives that have a THC concentration of more than 0.3 percent.
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Hemp
is classified as a cannabis plant or its derivatives with a THC concentration of less than 0.3 percent.
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Cannabidiol, or CBD
, is a non-psychoactive compound of cannabis. It does not contain THC.
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Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol, or delta-8,
is a psychoactive substance that is naturally produced in small amounts by cannabis plants. When concentrated in a lab, delta-8 can produce a similar “high” to marijuana.
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Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, or delta-9,
is the primary psychoactive ingredient in a cannabis plant. Delta-9 is illegal in Texas unless it’s derived from hemp and contains less than 0.3% THC by dry weight.
Medical Cannabis in Texas
Although it is restricted, medical cannabis is authorized in Texas. Certain doctors are permitted to prescribe low-THC cannabis to Texans with qualifying ailments under the Texas Compassionate Use Program. Cancer, MS, autism, epilepsy, and post-traumatic stress disorder are a few of the ailments.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick calls for ban on THC products
According to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, he will back legislation that would outlaw the sale of THC in any consumable form in Texas. Delta-8 and Delta-9 marijuana extracts would be prohibited as part of this. The Texas Legislature’s website states that Senate Bill 3 has not yet been filed.
PRIOR COVERAGE: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick introduces legislation to outlaw the sale of any THC in the state
“Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible,” Patrick said in a statement late Wednesday to announce the measure. “Since 2023, thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state, and many sell products, including beverages, that have three to four times the THC content which might be found in marijuana purchased from a drug dealer.”
January 14 marks the start of the Texas legislative session.
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The Texas Tribune, the Texas Compassionate Use Program, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and the Texas Health and Safety Code are the sources of the information in this article.
The Texas Tribune, the Texas Compassionate Use Program, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and the Texas Health and Safety Code are the sources of the information in this article.
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