Judge blocks new state rules that ban sale of smokable hemp
KUT • • business
Key Points:
- A Travis County judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of Texas' new hemp regulations that effectively banned smokable hemp products, allowing their sale to resume temporarily.
- The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) had changed THC level calculations, prohibiting smokable hemp products, and increased annual fees for hemp retailers from $150 to $5,000 and for manufacturers from $250 to $10,000.
- A coalition of hemp businesses and industry groups sued DSHS, claiming the new rules exceeded the agency’s authority and threatened to shut down hundreds of businesses; the judge blocked the smokable hemp ban but allowed the fee increases to stand.
- Over 13,000 stores and nearly 800 manufacturers are licensed to sell and produce hemp products in Texas, with many reportedly closing due to the new regulations before the restraining order.
- The temporary restraining order will last two weeks until a hearing on April 23 to decide whether to extend the suspension of the rules while the lawsuit proceeds.
