Texas lawmakers this week failed to gain consensus on legislation to regulate hemp THC products, effectively killing a proposal that would have banned consumable products with any amount of the intoxicating cannabis compound. The bill to ban hemp THC products died after the Texas House of Representatives ended a special legislative session on Wednesday night, despite efforts by state leaders to reach a compromise on the legislation, the Texas Tribune reported.
The Texas legislature passed a ban on hemp THC products during the regular legislative session earlier this year, but Republican Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the measure. He then called on lawmakers to pass a bill to regulate hemp products during special legislative sessions, but state GOP leaders failed to reach a consensus on the issue.
“After long discussions last night between the Governor, Speaker, and me on THC, and continued hours of discussion today, we were not able to come to a resolution,” Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, the leader of the Texas Senate, said Wednesday night on the social media platform X.
“My position remains unchanged; the Senate and I are for a total THC ban,” he continued.
Special Called To Regulate Hemp THC, Among Other Issues
Abbott called the special session so that state lawmakers could consider issues including congressional redistricting and devasting floods that ravaged the state in July. The governor also called on the legislature to pass regulations on consumable hemp products, which were legalized nationwide with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.
Twice during special sessions, the Senate passed Senate Bill 6 from Republican Sen. Charles Perry. If passed, the measure would ban all hemp-derived products with “any amount” of cannabinoids other than CBD or CBG. Possession of cannabis products not approved by the measure or covered under the state’s medical cannabis program would be a Class B misdemeanor, punished by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of $2000.
The complete ban on hemp THC products is more restrictive than the regulatory plan sought by the governor when he called the special legislative session. Abbott said in his proclamation convening the session that he wanted the legislature to approve a bill that would “comprehensively regulate hemp-derived products, including limiting potency, restricting synthetically modified compounds, and establishing enforcement mechanisms, all without banning lawful hemp-derived products,” according to a report from online cannabis news outlet Marijuana Moment.
Texas House Lawmakers Reject Total Ban On Hemp THC
Many House lawmakers supported legislation to regulate intoxicating hemp products that falls short of a total ban. Republican Rep. Gary VanDeaver, the author of a House hemp THC regulation bill, said before last-ditch negotiations began on Tuesday afternoon that lawmakers in the House and Senate had failed to reach a compromise.
“We looked hard for that common ground and just never could find it,” VanDeaver said. “We just don’t see that we can get anything off the House floor.”
Texas Hemp Industry Welcomes Death Of Senate Bill 6
The news of the demise of Senate Bill 6 was welcomed by representatives of the Texas hemp industry, which has grown to more than $8 billion annual market over the past few years and now employs about 53,000 people, according to a report from CBS News.
Cynthia Cabrera, president of The Texas Hemp Business Council, commended state lawmakers for rejecting the prohibition on hemp products with THC.
“This ban is wildly unpopular,” said Cabrera. “And the fact that the lieutenant governor continues to push something everybody has essentially said they don’t want speaks volumes about how disconnected he is to what Texans want, what the governor wants and what consumers want.”