Texas Taps on the Brakes

The Lone Star State is the latest example of growing momentum for hemp’s permanent legalization. As we shared a few weeks ago, the Texas Department of Health Services announced that it was considering a misguided crackdown on hemp-derived cannabidiol (“CBD”), and asked for public comments.

The Roundtable responded with a comprehensive letter, and over 1000 other citizens weighed in. As a result of the political and public pressure, the Department announced a few days ago that it was delaying any action until it figures out the big picture. Read more about their decision here. While this is certainly a welcome development, the fight is far from over.

The Roundtable has engaged local counsel to provide the industry’s recommendations to the Department, and more importantly, to work with state legislators to prepare and pass legislation next year that would clearly establish the legality of hemp and hemp-derived products.

If you live in Texas, we encourage you to contact your state legislators to support hemp legislation. Wherever you live, it is critical that you urge your Members of Congress to pass the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 to establish permanent hemp legalization on the federal level.