Hemp will no longer be a controlled substance in the Lone Star State
Following on the success of the 2018 Farm Bill that paved the way for legal hemp cultivation, Texas has now passed a bill that will see hemp lose its label as a controlled substance as of April 5. This is going to be good news to the state’s economy and its farmers, who will now be able to operate under clearer guidance.
Removing hemp from the list of controlled substances is a huge step forward. There has been a great deal of confusion about the plant and what can be done with it, and the new legislation will help clear the air. Jax Finkel, the executive director of the Texas National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, states, “If someone thinks they’re getting one thing, that should be what they’re getting. It can be confusing. Hemp’s been declassified, yet it’s still kind of restricted because the 2018 hemp bill says you have to grow under a state-sanctioned program. We don’t have that.”
It also brings to light the struggle to better understand the most common compounds in hemp, such as cannabidiol (CBD), and the medical benefits provided by those compounds. The CEO for Compassionate Cultivation, Morris Denton, points out, “It’s time Texas creates and puts in place clear, understandable and enforceable laws that regulate this product in order to ensure the health and safety of Texans.”
Farmers in Texas will now be more inclined to begin cannabis cultivation, having been given approval by their state’s government. This will lead to an entirely new economy in the Lone Star State and help expand the CBD market.