The State of Texas is moving forward with regulations that will guide the portion of the state\u2019s eight-billion-dollar hemp industry that deals with consumable products like gummies.<\/p>\n
Thursday morning, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission<\/a> held a public hearing to get feedback from stakeholders on proposed new rules that are expected to go into effect next year. <\/p>\n After Texas Governor Greg Abbott vetoed Senate Bill 3<\/a>, which would have banned the majority of consumable hemp products statewide, he instructed TABC and the Department of State Health Services to implement emergency rules for hemp businesses to keep minors from accessing hemp-derived products. <\/p>\n Many in the hemp industry were on board, including Mark Bordas, the executive director of the Texas Hemp Business Council<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cWe are 100 percent against the sale to minors,\u201d Bordas said.<\/p>\n He was just one of multiple businessowners and advocates that took part in TABC\u2019s public hearing <\/a>Thursday on new proposed permanent rules that would apply to those businesses that sale both alcohol and consumable hemp products.<\/p>\n Bordas said he is in agreement with the effort by TABC to draft rules for the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a movement in the right direction as far as promulgation rules,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Heather Fazio, the director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center <\/a>in Austin, agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks to Governor Abbott\u2019s decisive action,\u201d Fazio said in a statement to KSAT, \u201cstate regulators are finally moving forward with age restrictions for THC products.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDSHS is working toward establishing similar rules for hemp retailers who fall outside the purview of TABC,\u201d Fazio continued. \u201cWe commend both agencies for their efforts to ensure public health and safety.\u201d<\/p>\n TABC is the state agency that oversees hemp products that are sold in businesses that serve or sell alcohol. <\/p>\n Currently, DSHS is over all other businesses that sell consumable hemp products. <\/p>\n During Thursday\u2019s public hearing, industry stakeholders voiced their opinions and offered senior counsel Matthew Cherry other points of consideration that they believed should be factored into how the new rules are written.<\/p>\n Right now, the emergency rules that were implemented prohibit the sale of consumable hemp products to anyone under the age of 21.<\/p>\n Hemp businesses are required to verify the age of all customers buying products. TABC could cancel the license or permit of businesses found to have sold to minors.<\/p>\n