Texas lawmakers renew their push to ban THC with law enforcement warning that unregulated smoke shops pose a risk to the community.
AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas Senate committee voted Tuesday to advance legislation that would ban THC from consumable hemp products, reviving efforts to regulate the industry after Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed similar legislation last month.
The Senate Committee on State Affairs approved the bill, which now heads to the full Senate for consideration during the ongoing special legislative session.
The legislation comes after Abbott rejected a previous measure in June that would have prohibited THC in consumable hemp products. Lawmakers say the new bill addresses the governor’s concerns from his earlier veto.
Law enforcement officials testified in support of the ban, citing enforcement challenges and costs.
“No amount of personnel or resources in a state this large with this many locations will ever be effective in regulating these types of products, which is why the ban is the only viable solution to protect our community,” said Allen Police Chief Steve Dye.
Dye said officers lack the resources to properly regulate the level of THC in every product, and testing is too expensive for departments to conduct effectively.
Lawmakers said thousands of smoke shops operate across Texas, with some selling products that exceed legal THC levels. They expressed concerns about products being marketed and sold to minors with little accountability from retailers and manufacturers.
The proposed legislation would still allow CBD and CBG products, as well as hemp products typically found in grocery stores. The sponsor said that language added to SB 5 would mean the agricultural industry would not be impacted.
North Texas retailers opposed the measure, arguing that removing legal products from shelves would push sales to illegal markets.
“I’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on testing. I have a dispensary. I do everything by the book. No one under the age of 21 has gotten ahold of my product through my retail establishments,” said Wyatt Larew, a manufacturer who testified against the bill.
The legislation requires approval from the full Senate before advancing to the House for consideration.
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