Texas governor Greg Abbott has signed an executive order mandating age restrictions on the sale of hemp-derived THC products, roughly three months after he vetoed a bill that would have outlawed the intoxicant entirely in the Lone Star State.
The order, released today, is geared toward “protecting children” and orders the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) and Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to immediately begin a rulemaking process to develop a new framework for the sale of hemp-derived products to minors.
The intended outcome for the state is to institute age verification and ID checking at point of sale, along with strict fees for violators and stronger labeling and testing requirements.
The order does not specify what age – 18 or 21 – to set the restriction, but Abbott has previously supported a limit of 21 years old.
“Texas will not wait when it comes to protecting children and families,” Abbott said in a statement. “While these products would still benefit from the kind of comprehensive regulation set by the Texas Legislature for substances like alcohol and tobacco, my executive order makes sure that kids are kept safe and parents have peace of mind now, and that consumers know the products they purchase are tested and labeled responsibly.”
Texas DSHS is also being instructed to review and consider revisions to existing rules on testing requirements for delta-9 THC content, applications and renewal fees for hemp manufacturers and retailers.
The department is additionally ordered to coordinate with TABC on the enforcement of laws and rules for hemp-derived products, such as compliance checks.
Jim Higdon, co-founder of Cornbread Hemp and a member of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, told BevNET that the order appears to be “very good news” for the Texas hemp industry, following a tumultuous summer where it appeared the category could be outlawed entirely.
“It reflects that Governor Abbott understands the reality of the importance of these products in Texas and is standing up for Texas veterans and consumers of hemp products,” Higdon said.
Higdon added that he believes the order is “the second best outcome that we could have got in Texas,” noting that the best outcome is still a strong regulatory bill passed by the State Legislature.
“If prohibition won’t work in Texas, where will it work?” he added.