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A bill that determines the future of hemp in Texas currently sits on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk — with hemp manufacturers, distributors and cultivators awaiting the industry-shaking decision.
Texas Senate Bill 3, introduced by Sen. Charles Perry and championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, aims to make laws around hemp products stricter.
Cannabis Sativa L is the plant from which hemp, marijuana and other byproducts are derived. The plant consists of cannabinoids, which are compounds used for a variety of medicinal and recreational purposes.
Aaron McGrew of Breathe Freely, a local hemp manufacturer focused on alternative medicine, shared how he believes the bill would impact his business if it passes.
“Senate Bill 3 would only allow CBD and CBG — that is it. So it’s cutting out over 100 cannabinoids. It would pretty much eliminate most of the products we’re able to sell,” McGrew said.
Though some cannabinoids do have psychoactive properties, Texas Senate Bill 3 states that licensed retailers and manufacturers may not manufacture a consumable hemp product that contains any amount of a cannabinoid other than cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabigerol (CBG).
“Everything has to come from the hemp plant. So even CBD, which is perfectly legal, is only legal if it’s extracted from the hemp plant. When we talk about hemp and marijuana, it’s not two separate plants — they are two cultivations of the Cannabis Sativa L plant,” McGrew said.
Though the bill targets the other 100-plus cannabinoids, McGrew explains how the regulations may affect retailers of hemp-derived consumables.
“On the retail side, it’s basically going to initially kill every hemp business in Texas. It’s just not going to be a profitable industry after this bill,” McGrew said.
McGrew predicts the proposed bill would affect not only retailers and manufacturers of hemp-derived consumables, but potentially the entire hemp agricultural industry as well.
“There are two subsections of the hemp industry: cannabinoid and material. I deal with the cannabinoid side, but then you have the material side that deals with a million other things that you can do with hemp, but you cannot grow hemp without some trace amount of THC in it,” McGrew said.
McGrew believes agricultural industries that make non-consumable hemp-derived products like hemp oil, fibers, building materials and many more may also be detrimentally affected by the bill — despite the bill being targeted toward hemp-derived consumables.
“When it comes to agriculture, Texas is losing hundreds of thousands of acres of crops every year. We are seeing water shortages, especially in citrus crops, because they require a lot of water. With a crop like hemp, which is extremely drought-resistant, you also get multiple ‘harvests’ from one crop since so many things can be made from the entire plant,” McGrew said.
McGrew started Breathe Freely with a passion for how hemp-derived consumables can be used medicinally and therapeutically. From chronic pain to PTSD, McGrew’s business focuses entirely on utilizing cannabinoids that are currently legal for relief. With Texas Senate Bill 3 awaiting action, the fate of his business depends on Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision, or lack thereof.
“The bill is at the governor’s desk now. He has to decide to either sign it, veto it, or he could not sign it, and it would still pass and go into effect Sept. 1 of this year. For me as a business, I’ve already set the date that I’m closing my doors on Aug. 22, unless something changes,” McGrew said.
The clock ticks toward the June 22 decision deadline, with business owners like Aaron already making contingency plans to close their doors if no relief comes. For more information about Texas Senate Bill 3, check out the bill at: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB3.
”}]] A bill that determines the future of hemp in Texas currently sits on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk — with hemp manufacturers, distributors and cultivators awaiting the industry-shaking decision. Read More
