Texas would clamp down on consumable hemp products without banning them outright

Texas hemp retailers would face a new licensing regime, age limits, and product-safety rules under a measure the state Senate passed during the first called special session. The bill (SB 5) regulates consumable hemp products and the cannabinoids they contain, imposes registration and licensing fees, creates new criminal offenses for noncompliance, and authorizes administrative penalties against retailers who violate the rules.

Sen. Perry filed the legislation as a fallback after Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a more aggressive ban earlier in the year. The bill bars sales to anyone under 21, restricts certain synthetic cannabinoids, and routes oversight through the Department of State Health Services and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The Senate passed SB 5 on July 31 after roughly two weeks of negotiations between hemp-industry advocates and law-enforcement groups. The bill moved to the House, where companion legislation was already advancing through committee.