While many states in the USA enjoy lax hemp laws across the county, one cannot say the same about the Lone Star State-Texas. Texas practices a more traditional jurisdiction compared to other states across the country. The Lone Star State is also yet to start the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill.
The 2018 farm bill made hemp farming legal for all the states that submitted programs entailing all their hemp activities to the USDA. USDA approved hemp farm activities for many of the states though some are still on the waiting list. The states growing the hemp crop treat it as any other agriculture commodity.
One of the USA states waiting for the legalization of hemp farming is the State of Texas. The Lone Star State, just like many other states, submitted its program for approval to the USDA, but it is yet to receive a go-ahead. While hemp farming takes a backbench in the state, it is not to say that everything about hemp takes a standstill.
Read also: Is Hemp Legal In Georgia
Understanding What Legal Hemp Is In Texas
Even though the state of Texas is still waiting for a go-ahead to enact the 2018 Farm Bill, it does not mean that nothing is happening on the ground. For starters, the state knows what to expect and do if they are to qualify for enacting the bill and start cultivating the crop as per legal hemp definition. The 2018 farm bill stipulates that hemp can only be lawful if it contains less than 0.3% of THC.
Hemp belongs to the Cannabis Sativa L group, and some plants in the same class contain high THC levels. The 2018 Farm Bill further stipulates that no part of the Cannabis Sativa L should have more than 0.3% THC; otherwise, it ceases being legal hemp. The features include plant derivatives and extracts.
The reason behind the strict percentage of THC in hemp is the effects of the compound. Hemp contains higher levels of CBD than it does THC. Marijuana, then again, has more significant levels of THC than it does CBD. Marijuana and hemp both come from Cannabis Sativa L, and the only thing that differentiates them is the THC and CBD levels.
THC contains psychoactive properties responsible for the high, which is the reason many states consider it illegal. The 2018 Farm Bill stipulates that hemp is strictly legal only if the THC levels are below 0.3%. Marijuana is illegal in Texas irrespective of its use or purpose, and since farming of hemp is yet to take effect, many users would what to know if hemp sells at all in Texas.
Hemp Flowers Sale in Texas
Texas is yet to enact the 2018 farm bill, but this does not mean that other hemp products are on sale in the state. At the turn of the 2018 farm bill, many CBD product sellers penetrated the Texas market, and today, you will find many of the products in pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores.
Reputable CBD specialty stores also joined the long line of sellers making it more convenient for those seeking trusted sources for their specific needs. The specialty stores cater to those interested in CBD and hemp-derived products. They also have an extensive selection with higher prices and better quality than those of regular stores.
If the diversity of the hemp-derived CBD products does not meet your specific needs, you could try to buy alternative regulated CBD products from trusted online shops. The farm bill does not limit location across the borders, making it possible for Texas sellers to ship hemp products without the fear of any legal repercussions because CBD hemp products are not controlled substances.
Read also: Is CBD Flower Legal in the US
Legal Hemp Products in Texas
CBD formulations and other hemp-derived products sell widely in Texas specialty stores even without enacting the 2018 Farms Bill. Besides the controversial edibles and usual smokables, Texas is a hotbed for other types of CBD products.
The passing of the Farm Bill plays a large part in the blossoming of specialty stores selling different CBD products and hemp flowers in Texas. However, it does not mean that each product sold is legal, and sellers find ways of selling the products without fear of legal repercussions.
Some of the products not approved for sale by the US food and drug administration in Texas include CBD infused foods and drinks, alongside CBD oil. CBD –infused foods are illegal across the US, but most local governments do not take the illegality seriously.
Purchasing and selling the products goes on unabated, and you will even find online retailers advertising the sale of the same. As the state waits for the go-ahead to start hemp farming and local government to clarify all hemp-derived products’ good outlook, the requirement is that all CBD-infused foods and drinks should come with a disclaimer of buyer beware.
Is It Conceivable To Purchase Hemp Smokables In Texas?
The state of Texas does not allow hemp or marijuana smokables. One would assume that hemp as a non-psychoactive product, the state would at least smoke it freely without worrying about any legal repercussions.
Despite marijuana having both medicinal and recreational benefits, it is illegal to smoke in the whole of the USA. The reason why hemp gets the same treatment as marijuana in some states is that it is hard to differentiate between the two visually.
Smoking hemp or even walling around with a sample in public places will put into inconvenient situations with law enforcement, and trying to convince them that smoking is not psychoactive will be futile. The best advice would be to smoke your hemp from the comfort of your home until the state comes up with instant field tests to differentiate marijuana from hemp. If you want to smoke hemp in public, the safer alternatives are vape oils and CBD cigarettes. Avoid pre-rolls.
Growing Industrial Hemp vs. Home Hemp in Texas
It is legal to cultivate industrial hemp for commercial purposes in Texas. Nonetheless, it is unlawful to develop hemp in private home gardens for individual use. Again, the reason behind the ban to grow hemp privately is that it is hard to tell it apart from marijuana.
Hemp needs proper and regular testing and management to prevent the THC levels from exceeding the limit of 0.3%. Once it exceeds the limit, it becomes unfit for consumption. The Texas department of agriculture does not provide any licenses or permits for private hemp farming, even though the state has USDA approval for the program.
The state of Texas is still on the process of determining the proper way to go about the process by streamlining some areas such as licensing procedures, processing fees, legal actions, and penalties for breaching hemp laws and others.
Read also: How to Smoke CBD Flower
Wrapping It Up
While the states surrounding Texas all have dynamic and progressive hemp cultivating programs, we can only hope that it is on its way to revitalizing the flourishing hemp farming industry. After all, Texas has what it takes in terms of property size and suitable climate to capitalize on hemp economic development once the state gives permission to proceed to cultivate the crop.
Meanwhile, Texas citizens can enjoy the abundance of hemp products from other surrounding states and get an idea of just how lucrative and rewarding hemp farming both economically and health wise.
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