Texas Senate Will Soon Vote On Hemp Bill, Which Requires Testing Crops For THC

“Where a lot of hemp products have not had the same traceability, now there’s a big opportunity to ensure that these are safe products.”

By Ryan PoppeMay 14, 2019 12:44 pm,

From Texas Public Radio:

Farmers await a final vote in the Texas Senate, which could end up affecting their bottom line. If it passes, House Bill 1325 is one step closer to legalizing the cultivation of hemp in Texas.

Zavala County Democrat Tracy King wrote the bill, which sailed through the Texas House weeks ago. But Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and the bill’s sponsor, Lubbock Republican Charles Perry, changed the bill, arguing it lacked enough restrictions for those who want to grow hemp in order to make and sell CBD oil.

“DSHS and DPS shall adopt policies for processing for random testing of CBD oil at various retail establishments. Anyone hauling lawful hemp is subject to roadside stops and checks. Haulers from outside the state must prove the hemp they are hauling was grown under the U.S. Farm Bill,” Perry says.

Per the Federal Hemp Act, all hemp must contain no more than 0.3% of the psychoactive compound THC in order to be considered legal. Perry says all hemp will have to be tested and confirmed before leaving a farm.

A system for tracing the origins of a hemp product is something Coleman Hemphill, with the Texas Hemp Industries Association, says farmers want because it allows them to market something as “Texas Grown,” and demonstrate to consumers that it’s been tested for purity.

“Where a lot of hemp products have not had the same traceability, now there’s a big opportunity to ensure that these are safe products,” Hemphill says.

If the bill passes the Senate, the two chambers will still need to quickly reconcile the changes in the final weeks of the session before sending it to the governor’s desk.