Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick included a ban on the controversial hemp product in his list of goals for the upcoming Texas legislative session.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is including a ban on Delta-8 and Delta-9 products in his list of goals for the 2025 Texas legislative session, putting the future of the popular and controversial hemp products in jeopardy.
In his 2024 Interim Legislative Charges prospectus, Patrick outlined his desire for lawmakers to "examine the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Texas." The document also calls for legislators to "make recommendations to further regulate the sale of these products, and suggest legislation to stop retailers who market these products to children."
Both Delta-8 and Delta-9 are THC molecules capable of producing an intoxicating effect, but Delta-8 occurs naturally in marijuana in much smaller quantities. Delta-8 first hit Texas shelves after a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp but did not specify what form of THC would be regulated. Since then, Delta-9 products have also emerged in low-THC edible forms.
Six years later and two years after Texas began allowing hemp plants in Texan soil, over 7,000 businesses in Texas operate retail hemp licenses, and hundreds more possess the license to manufacture and market their own hemp products. Meanwhile, traditional marijuana is still only legal medically, and its use is heavily regulated. The so-called grey markets have drawn ire from lawmakers concerned that the products, which are not regulated by the FDA, are too easily accessible to minors.
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The Texas Department of State Health Services first moved to ban Delta-8 in 2021, but an injunction has halted the prohibition, leaving Delta-8 on the market for now.The Lieutenant Governor's language in legislative charges does not appear to leave room for a possible middle ground between an unregulated cannabinoid free-for-all and outright ban.
Patrick's other legislative priorities for the coming session include strengthening property owners' rights against squatters, monitoring the ongoing DEI ban at public universities, and examining and restricting "charitable bail organizations" also known as bail funds.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is including a ban on Delta-8 and Delta-9 products in his list of goals for the 2025 Texas legislative session, putting the future of the popular and controversial hemp products in jeopardy.
In his 2024 Interim Legislative Charges prospectus, Patrick outlined his desire for lawmakers to "examine the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Texas." The document also calls for legislators to "make recommendations to further regulate the sale of these products, and suggest legislation to stop retailers who market these products to children."
Both Delta-8 and Delta-9 are THC molecules capable of producing an intoxicating effect, but Delta-8 occurs naturally in marijuana in much smaller quantities. Delta-8 first hit Texas shelves after a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp but did not specify what form of THC would be regulated. Since then, Delta-9 products have also emerged in low-THC edible forms.
Six years later and two years after Texas began allowing hemp plants in Texan soil, over 7,000 businesses in Texas operate retail hemp licenses, and hundreds more possess the license to manufacture and market their own hemp products. Meanwhile, traditional marijuana is still only legal medically, and its use is heavily regulated. The so-called grey markets have drawn ire from lawmakers concerned that the products, which are not regulated by the FDA, are too easily accessible to minors.
--
The Texas Department of State Health Services first moved to ban Delta-8 in 2021, but an injunction has halted the prohibition, leaving Delta-8 on the market for now.The Lieutenant Governor's language in legislative charges does not appear to leave room for a possible middle ground between an unregulated cannabinoid free-for-all and outright ban.
Patrick's other legislative priorities for the coming session include strengthening property owners' rights against squatters, monitoring the ongoing DEI ban at public universities, and examining and restricting "charitable bail organizations" also known as bail funds.
Texas eyes widespread crackdown on Delta-8 THC products
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick included a ban on the controversial hemp product in his list of goals for the upcoming Texas legislative session.
www.chron.com