The Texas hemp industry is going head to head with medical marijuana producers in the state, while some prominent lawmakers are moving in favor of the latter.
Texas has had its Compassionate Use Program for medical marijuana in full swing since 2015. The problem is, it’s not very popular.
Just how unpopular? Consider that there are currently around 12,000 participants in Texas’ medical marijuana program. But there are around 45,000 registered for the program. That means over 70% of people who signed up are not taking advantage of medical marijuana access.
On top of that, there are an estimated 1.5 million people in Texas who would qualify for the Compassionate Use Program. But hardly anybody is biting the line.
So, why aren’t more people with health problems using the Compassionate Use Program in Texas?
For one thing, the list of qualifying health conditions is short compared to other states with more successful medicinal programs. Plus, you need a prescription from a program-approved doctor.
Secondly, medical marijuana in Texas is expensive compared to legal hemp products like Delta 8 and Delta 9. A big reason for that is the bureaucratic hoops that dispensaries have to jump through that end up making their marijuana more expensive. These include insanely strict regulations related to storage and transport.
Also, medical marijuana businesses in Texas are required to contain all their operations under one roof: that’s cultivation, extraction, lab testing–everything. Logistically, this is killing their bottom line.
By the time the price point can account for all these shenanigans, legal hemp products are almost always cheaper and offer many of the same effects. Plus, you can order them online and avoid dealing with the government. It’s a no-brainer for lots of veterans and other people with chronic conditions who want to improve their quality of life with cannabinoids.
But as states like Colorado and California tighten the reins on the legal hemp market, Texas appears to be following closely behind.
State Senator Charles Perry, a former advocate who played a key role in legalizing hemp cultivation in Texas, wants to ban consumable hemp products in the state. Weed-style hemp products were, apparently, not what he envisioned when he championed local hemp producers years ago.
Senator Perry, like many lawmakers before him, is concerned about intoxicating hemp products getting into the hands of children, particularly in the form of drinks. He argues that the difficulty in distinguishing them from regular beverages is a problem for parents, teachers, and law enforcement in particular. Perry is advocating for stricter regulations or outright bans on certain psychoactive hemp products in the interest of overall public safety.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has also joined the battle, calling for a ban on Delta 8 products due to their potential harm to children. He recently urged lawmakers to investigate the Delta 8 market in Texas and propose legislation to regulate or prohibit its distribution.
Accordingly, the Texas Department of State Health Services filed a lawsuit with the state's Supreme Court to classify Delta 8 products as illegal substances. Until the battle plays out in court, Delta 8 remains legal for sale, purchase, and consumption in Texas.
In a nutshell, the medical marijuana industry in Texas is advocating for reforms to the Compassionate Use Program, including reducing operational costs for dispensaries and expanding the list of qualifying medical conditions. Industry leaders argue these changes would not only help patients but also curb the growing popularity of unregulated hemp products like Delta 8, which are killing their profits.
But the hemp industry in Texas isn’t going down without a fight, opposing bans on Delta 8 and Delta 9 and arguing that such measures would have a significant negative impact on the state's economy.
The state's hemp industry has expanded rapidly since the legalization of hemp cultivation in 2019. According to Hometown Hero, a Texas-based hemp CBD company, the hemp industry contributes billions of dollars to the state's economy and supports thousands of jobs.
As the Texas Legislature prepares for the upcoming session, the future of medical marijuana and hemp-derived cannabinoids in the state remains uncertain. Striking a balance between consumer safety and economic interests will undoubtedly prove a formidable challenge for policymakers, who look like they’re leaning toward regulating the bejeezus out of Texas’ legal hemp market.
