Legal Hemp In Texas: Lone Star State Poised To Legalize Industrial Hemp
Kit O'Connell Kit O'Connell
14 hours ago
A bill passed by the Texas Legislature will usher in a new era of legal hemp in Texas. The same bill will also explicitly legalize the sale of CBD oil supplements by licensed vendors.
“It was voted out of the House and the Senate unanimously,” said Coleman Hemphill, president of the Texas Hemp Industries Association, a recently formed chapter of the national Hemp Industries Association nonprofit. Ministry of Hemp is also a member of the HIA.
HB 1325 passed the legislature and was sent for signature on May 26. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill into law. However, it’s unclear when farmers will actually be able to plant the crop.
“Texas will have to wait until the USDA puts out its [hemp growing] rules, which who knows when that will happen,” said Hemphill.
Predictions for the release official federal guidelines on hemp growing vary from late this year to sometime in 2020.
The bill also clarifies the legality of CBD oil supplements in Texas. Everyday people would be allowed to possess and consume CBD, a massively popular nutritional supplement derived from hemp with numerous benefits. However, CBD sales would be limited to permitted establishments, a process that will be overseen by the state’s health departmen