Texas legalized production of hemp in 2019 in hopes of creating a new cash crop for the state’s farmers. In the five years since, it’s not only hemp farmers who benefited but the low-dose THC industry as well.(Dreamstime / TNS) No wonder you’re confused by the proliferation of stores across North Texas marketing gummies, oils and smokes containing low-dose THC — shorthand for the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol, which is found in the cannabis plant.
The plants produce both hemp and marijuana. Hemp is classified as concentrations less than 0.3% THC; marijuana contains amounts greater.
Consumers view hemp-based products as miracle elixirs that restore mental and physical well-being. Critics see them as an exploitation of loopholes in the state’s hemp legislation.
“Confusion reigns supreme” is the most apt assessment of the issue, based on my several months of research. Information is often murky, even contradictory. Expert sources assess the same facts in different ways. Enforcement practices are inconsistent; safety standards are lacking.
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FacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy These questions and answers provide a starting point for understanding the low-dose THC issue and its future in Texas. What set off the low-dose THC boom? The 2018 federal farm bill , approved with bipartisan support, removed hemp from the Drug Enforcement Agency’s controlled substances list. The agriculture-friendly action allowed farmers to cultivate crops needed for rope as well as the textiles and plastics industries.The Texas Legislature followed by passing House Bill 1325 , signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in July 2019, to allow the production, manufacture, retail sale and inspection of industrial hemp crops and products granted that they test at less than 0.3% delta-9 THC .Related: A young North Texas woman bought legal delta-8 vape oil and wound up jailed on a felony In lobbying for the federal action, state Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller touted the change as “taking the shackles off the American farmer.” This year, at a legislative hearing on many of the unintended consequences of HB 1325 , state Sen. José Menéndez, […]
Q&A on THC in Texas: What you need to know about the controversy
