The Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) is backing Texas Governor Greg Abbott's new executive order designed to limit access to hemp-derived THC.
“By avoiding a ban on hemp products, GA 56 preserves lawful adult access, promotes responsible commerce and discourages the growth of illicit markets. We fully support measures that ensure hemp products are sold only to adults aged 21 and over, including child-resistant packaging and measures to reduce potential school exposure," the group said in a statement.
“At the same time, Governor Abbott’s executive order serves as an interim enforcement tool, drawing from the hemp regulatory framework proposed in HB 309 by Rep. Briscoe Cain. We urge regulators to implement these directives in a way that does not create undue burdens on responsible hemp businesses. Clear and practical rules are critical for compliance and for the continued growth of Texas’s legal hemp industry."
After several failed attempts to pass a ban on hemp-derived THC products in Texas, Abbott this week issued a directive to enforce new limitations.
The Executive Order directs the following agency actions:
- Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) must ban sales to minors and require verification of government-issued ID at the point of sale, with failure to do so resulting in the loss of a retailer’s license.
- DSHS must review existing rules for possible revision, including strengthening testing and labeling requirements to ensure informed consumers, increasing licensing fees to facilitate enforcement, and improving recordkeeping to assist agency oversight.
- DSHS, TABC, and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) must coordinate and increase enforcement across the state, in partnership with local law enforcement agencies.
