The Delta 8 and Delta 9 loophole has had 7 years now to propagate through the country, and Texas was no different. The ability to sell THC through hemp as opposed to marijuana had created an $8 billion industry in the state, but no longer.
The Texas house voted yesterday to ban all forms of THC, including Delta 8 and Delta 9 in a 95-44 vote. Anyone caught with possession face up to a year in jail.
The Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick was a proponent of the bill, stating “Since 2019, retailers across Texas have exploited a state agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of Tetrahydrocannabinol to Texans, including children. These stores which often target children with their marketing, have popped up across the state, threatening the safety of our communities. Today, the Texas Senate drew a line in the sand and passed SB 3 to ban all forms of intoxicating THC.”
The Texas Hemp Business Council was unsurprisingly disappointed in the vote. “We are deeply disappointed by the Texas House’s passage of [SB3], a bill that dismantles the legal hemp industry and ignores the voices of small businesses, farmers, veterans and consumers across the state who rely on hemp-derived products for their livelihoods and well-being.”
The THC demand has surged within the beverage marketplace, and these drinks will now be illegal in Texas.
Read the original article at CBS News.
