<\/p>\n
A ban on smokable hemp will take effect on March 31 under newly proposed and approved guidelines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Hometown Hero CBD<\/p>\n
Newly adopted regulations on THC<\/a>, which will effectively ban the sale of\u00a0smokable hemp and extracts, are set to take effect March 31 \u2014 leaving Texas retailers and consumers one last day to prepare for sweeping changes.<\/p>\n The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) adopted a finalized version<\/a> of previously proposed regulations in early March, aligning with Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order cracking down on hemp.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The new rules take effect Tuesday, March 31.<\/p>\n How will THC laws change under the new regulations?<\/p>\n The new regulations prohibit the sale of smokable hemp and certain extracts by altering how the\u00a0DSHS measures delta-9 THC, a cannabinoid that produces cannabis’ intoxicating effects.\u00a0<\/p>\n Under the current state statute, cannabis with no more than 0.3% delta-9 by dry weight is considered legal hemp.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The adopted guidelines include a new “total THC” standard, which counts THCA, a naturally occurring cannabinoid in raw cannabis that is not intoxicating until it is heated or smoked, in the delta-9 calculation.\u00a0<\/p>\n They also impose higher annual licensing fees on retailers and manufacturers of “consumable hemp products.” The adopted fees include $5,000 per year per retail location and $10,000 per year per manufacturing facility.<\/p>\n How advocates, industry groups say the changes could affect Texas’ THC industry<\/p>\n Cannabis advocates have warned that the alterations, notably the ban and additional fees, could drive a boom in the unregulated market.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “Banning THCA flower won’t stop people from smoking. It won’t reduce demand,” The Texas Hemp Business Council\u00a0wrote on X<\/a>. “It will just shut down legitimate businesses and push consumers straight to the black market.”<\/p>\n The Texas Cannabis Policy Center said the “total THC” provision of the newly approved regulations is the “most significant concern.”\u00a0<\/p>\n The center estimated that nearly 50% of the currently legal, regulated marketplace for hemp will be effectively handed over to illicit operators.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n