Not unexpectedly, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is ramping up his efforts to ban intoxicating hemp products.
Between legislative sessions (known as the interim), committees of lawmakers are tasked with “interim charges,” which call on them to study various areas of policy and make recommendations. These recommendations are often used to craft bills for consideration during the next legislative session.
The Senate State Affairs Committee has been issued a number of interim charges, including “Banning Delta 8 and 9: Examine the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Texas. Make recommendations to further regulate the sale of these products, and suggest legislation to stop retailers who market these products to children.”
We oppose banning cannabis for adults, but like much of the industry, we certainly welcome reasonable regulations relating to age restrictions. It’s also worth considering guidance for advertising, standards for driving under the influence, and minimum expectations for product testing for potency and contamination.
Georgia’s recently passed law might offer a model to better regulate intoxicating hemp products. Read more on this here.
State Affairs Chairman, Sen. Bryan Hughes, has not yet scheduled a committee meeting, but we can expect committee members to meet a few times in advance of the next legislative session, which will run from January 14, 2025 to June 2, 2025.
Review all of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s interim charges here.