How a Well-Regulated Texas Hemp Industry Can Promote Public Safety [Video]

When Congress passed the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill, legalizing the production and sale of hemp products, it did not predict the large-scale consequences that followed.^[1] Hemp-derived cannabinoids quickly became a massive market, with many products mimicking the effects of marijuana. These impairing hemp products are often cheaper and easier to access than state-legal marijuana products.

The lack of regulation, testing loopholes, and inadequate enforcement have also enabled the spread of harmful products, even permitting the marketing and sale of said products to minors. Reflecting the health risks that arise from the underregulated hemp market, the Texas Poison Center Network reported a 156% increase in cannabinoid exposure cases from 2019 to 2023.^[2]

While some Texas lawmakers would prefer to ban the hemp industry and its products, prohibition would not succeed in eliminating the availability of these products or in protecting the public. Since no quality controls exist for illegal drugs, placing …