Overview
- Senate health committee held an invited testimony hearing Tuesday to gather evidence and Sen. Charles Perry confirmed he will refile a statewide ban on consumable hemp-derived THC products for the 2027 legislative session.
- State health and hospital witnesses told lawmakers the Texas Poison Center Network logged more than 10,000 THC-related exposure calls from January 2021 through May 2026, with over half involving people 19 or younger, and emergency departments reporting rising THC-related visits.
- Texas Department of State Health Services rules that took effect March 31 now require labs to measure total THC, set a 21+ purchase age, mandate child-resistant packaging, and sharply raised licensing fees for manufacturers and retailers.
- Law enforcement witnesses said seized products often contain higher THC than labeled, and industry groups dispute causation, warn a ban would cost jobs and sales, and have filed lawsuits and launched PR campaigns in response to the new rules.
- The issue is positioned for a contentious 2027 session with no new law yet; lawmakers, regulators, courts and businesses are likely to decide in coming months whether Texas moves to prohibition, tighter enforcement, or continued litigation.