Texas Pot Laws-What’s The Difference Between Hemp and Marijuana?

Hemp was legalized in Texas in 2019, but Marijuana was not. So what marijuana products are legal under the Hemp Law in Texas?

According to the Texas Tribune, confusion is rampant in prosecution cases since Texas lawmakers legalized some forms of marijuana but not others.

Enforcement varies from city to city in Texas, but here is where Texas stands on cannabis-derived products.

Marijuana and hemp are differentiated by the concentration of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) that they have. More than 0.3% is considered marijuana and is illegal, less than 0.3% is considered hemp and is legal.

CBD or cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive compound of cannabis and can be sold by businesses as long as the THC concentration is less than 0.3%.

Delta-8 is a naturally produced substance from the cannabis plant and, when concentrated, can give a similar high to marijuana, making it very popular.

So the debate continues whether to legalize marijuana in Texas like some states have done, and polls show Texans want to legalize it.

In June 2018, a University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll showed that 84% of state voters would vote to legalize marijuana.

A more recent poll in May 2022 by the Dallas Morning News/UT-Tyler found that 83% of Texas voters would support legalizing marijuana for medical use, and 60% would support legalization for recreational use.

As far as I am concerned, marijuana does not impair you any worse than alcohol, and that is legal. Colorado has shown that a state can benefit from legalization by taxing it and using the tax collected for other state-sponsored services, as we do with the Texas Lottery going to education and veterans.