Latest news with #Delta9
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NC's governor signs executive order establishing new advisory council on cannabis
The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis will hold its first meeting in July. () Governor Josh Stein signed an executive order Wednesday establishing the new North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis. The Council will study and recommend options for a comprehensive statewide approach to cannabis that is grounded in public health and public safety considerations. Stein's order says the new council will learn from lessons in other states and experts and focus on the protection and safety of all North Carolinians, especially the state's youth. The council announced Wednesday includes 24 members and will be co-chaired by State Health Director Lawrence Greenblatt and Robeson County District attorney Matt Scott. Other who will serve on the board will be representatives from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Safety, the state Department of Justice, local law enforcement officials, as well as North Carolina farmers. Notably, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians would also have a seat at the table. The Eastern Band first approved the use of medicinal cannabis in 2021, launching recreational marijuana sales on its tribal land last year. In an interview with WRAL on Tuesday, Gov. Stein likened the current situation surrounding cannabis and THC products to the 'wild, wild West.' 'The idea that we have a system where this product, which is a drug that can get you high, is for sale out there without any restrictions on how it's sold to me is insane,' said Stein. Legislators have been grappling with whether to legalize medical marijuana for several sessions as well as how to address the growing number of vape stores that sell THC-infused products. Stein said he hopes the new council can bring Republicans and Democrats from both chambers together to work with health professionals and law enforcement to find common ground. What's clear, said the governor, is that the unregulated marketplace is not working. 'Just go into a vape shop, ask the clerk what product will get me the most high and they will give you something. And it would get you high if you were to take it. So that's not acceptable,' Stein said. 'So, if we don't accept the status quo, what do we want the reality to actually be?' According to the governor's office the rate of emergency department visits in North Carolina for intoxicating cannabis ingestion among children and youth ages 17 and under has increased more than 600 percent in recent years, and among older teens, the rate has increased more than 1,000 percent. Senator Bill Rabon, a cancer survivor and the primary sponsor of the Compassionate Care Act, has been a leading voice for medical marijuana legislation. He is one of four legislators asked to serve on the advisory council. Rabon (R-Brunswick) told his colleagues last year that there was very little difference between products like Delta 9 and marijuana and the state would be wise to craft its own regulatory framework. Legislation to regulate hemp-derive consumables and medicinal marijuana passed the NC Senate last June, only to languish in the House. The new Council will consider public health considerations, potential marijuana prescriptions for certain conditions, as well as what regulatory guardrails are needed regarding potency and purity standards. Another consideration would be the possibility of expunging past convictions that do not align with the recommendations of the Council, including for simple possession of marijuana. According to Pew Research, nearly six-in-ten Americans (57%) believe that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes. USA Today, citing the group DISA Global Solutions, reported in April that North Carolina is one of a tiny minority of just six states in which marijuana is fully illegal for both recreational and medicinal purposes. The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis will hold its first meeting in July submitting preliminary recommendations for a comprehensive cannabis policy to the Stein by March 15, 2026. In the meantime, the governor said he would like the General Assembly to prohibit the sales of products that contain intoxicating THC to anyone under 21 by requiring photo ID age-verification, while requiring packaging that lets adults know what is actually in the cannabis products they may be buying. Read Stein's Executive Order below: EO16-Cannabis-Advisory-Council
Miami Herald
24-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Texas lawmakers approve full THC ban
May 24 (UPI) -- All non-medical products containing THC in any form soon could be outlawed in Texas after state lawmakers approved a full ban on Wednesday. The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday night voted 95-44 to approve Senate Bill 3, which bans the sale of all non-medical THC products in the state, CBS News reported. Recreational cannabis is not legal in Texas, but medical marijuana is legal. So are hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3% THC content. Non-medical and hemp-derived products that contain any amount of THC would be banned if Gov. Greg Abbott signs the measure into law. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, bans the sale of Delta 8, Delta 9 and other forms of THC products, including beverages. The bill also bans the retail sale of any cannabinoid, except for CBD and CBG products. Such products were made legal with the passage of the federal Farm Bill of 2018 and at the state level a year later by Texas lawmakers. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, on Monday said he would halt progress on a state budget bill if the House did not approve S.B. 3, which was a companion measure to the budget. "It's being sold to school children all across Texas," Patrick said in a video posted on Facebook. "This is poisonous THC [with] no regulation whatsoever," he added. Patrick said many of the products sold are more potent than marijuana that is sold by street dealers. In the video, he shows a map of more than 8,000 smoke and vape shops that opened in Texas over the past three years. Patrick said most are located within 2,000 feet of schools, and the industry generates $8 billion in annual revenues. The video includes footage of Perry during Senate floor debate saying the owners of smoke and vape shops "targeted walking distance of every school they could." The video also shows Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, during floor debate, citing a 495% increase in calls for THC overdoses by children aged 5 and under between 2017 and 2022, as reported by the Texas Poison Control network. Those opposing the THC ban say it could cause economic and medicinal harm. The proposed THC ban would harm local businesses, farmers and "tens of thousands of hardworking Texans ... who rely on hemp-derived cannabinoids for their wellness," officials with the Texas Hemp Business Council said Wednesday in a press release. "Despite overwhelming testimony and clear data demonstrating the safety and economic value of federally legal hemp-derived cannabinoids, lawmakers have chosen a path that eliminates an entire sector of our economy," the business council said. The industry generates $4.3 billion in retail sales, supports 53,300 state jobs and contributes $268 million in tax revenue, according to the council. "Texas already has strong hemp regulations," the council said. Instead of a ban, the council proposed restricting sales to those who are 21, requiring child-resistant packaging and establishing minimum distances from schools. Abbot has not indicated whether or not he intends to sign S.B. 3 into law. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers approve full THC ban
May 24 (UPI) -- All non-medical products containing THC in any form soon could be outlawed in Texas after state lawmakers approved a full ban on Wednesday. The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday night voted 95-44 to approve Senate Bill 3, which bans the sale of all non-medical THC products in the state, CBS News reported. Recreational cannabis is not legal in Texas, but medical marijuana is legal. So are hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3% THC content. Non-medical and hemp-derived products that contain any amount of THC would be banned if Gov. Greg Abbott signs the measure into law. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, bans the sale of Delta 8, Delta 9 and other forms of THC products, including beverages. The bill also bans the retail sale of any cannabinoid, except for CBD and CBG products. Such products were made legal with the passage of the federal Farm Bill of 2018 and at the state level a year later by Texas lawmakers. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, on Monday said he would halt progress on a state budget bill if the House did not approve S.B. 3, which was a companion measure to the budget. "It's being sold to school children all across Texas," Patrick said in a video posted on Facebook. "This is poisonous THC [with] no regulation whatsoever," he added. Patrick said many of the products sold are more potent than marijuana that is sold by street dealers. In the video, he shows a map of more than 8,000 smoke and vape shops that opened in Texas over the past three years. Patrick said most are located within 2,000 feet of schools, and the industry generates $8 billion in annual revenues. The video includes footage of Perry during Senate floor debate saying the owners of smoke and vape shops "targeted walking distance of every school they could." The video also shows Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, during floor debate, citing a 495% increase in calls for THC overdoses by children aged 5 and under between 2017 and 2022, as reported by the Texas Poison Control network. Those opposing the THC ban say it could cause economic and medicinal harm. The proposed THC ban would harm local businesses, farmers and "tens of thousands of hardworking Texans ... who rely on hemp-derived cannabinoids for their wellness," officials with the Texas Hemp Business Council said Wednesday in a press release. "Despite overwhelming testimony and clear data demonstrating the safety and economic value of federally legal hemp-derived cannabinoids, lawmakers have chosen a path that eliminates an entire sector of our economy," the business council said. The industry generates $4.3 billion in retail sales, supports 53,300 state jobs and contributes $268 million in tax revenue, according to the council. "Texas already has strong hemp regulations," the council said. Instead of a ban, the council proposed restricting sales to those who are 21, requiring child-resistant packaging and establishing minimum distances from schools. Abbot has not indicated whether or not he intends to sign S.B. 3 into law.
UPI
24-05-2025
- Business
- UPI
Texas lawmakers approve full THC ban
Hemp derived THC products may become illegal in Texas, if a ban passed by the State House of Representatives is signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Photo by lovingimages/ Pixabay May 24 (UPI) -- All non-medical products containing THC in any form soon could be outlawed in Texas after state lawmakers approved a full ban on Wednesday. The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday night voted 95-44 to approve Senate Bill 3, which bans the sale of all non-medical THC products in the state, CBS News reported. Recreational cannabis is not legal in Texas, but medical marijuana is legal. So are hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3% THC content. Non-medical and hemp-derived products that contain any amount of THC would be banned if Gov. Greg Abbott signs the measure into law. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, bans the sale of Delta 8, Delta 9 and other forms of THC products, including beverages. The bill also bans the retail sale of any cannabinoid, except for CBD and CBG products. Such products were made legal with the passage of the federal Farm Bill of 2018 and at the state level a year later by Texas lawmakers. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, on Monday said he would halt progress on a state budget bill if the House did not approve S.B. 3, which was a companion measure to the budget. "It's being sold to school children all across Texas," Patrick said in a video posted on Facebook. "This is poisonous THC [with] no regulation whatsoever," he added. Patrick said many of the products sold are more potent than marijuana that is sold by street dealers. In the video, he shows a map of more than 8,000 smoke and vape shops that opened in Texas over the past three years. Patrick said most are located within 2,000 feet of schools, and the industry generates $8 billion in annual revenues. The video includes footage of Perry during Senate floor debate saying the owners of smoke and vape shops "targeted walking distance of every school they could." The video also shows Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, during floor debate, citing a 495% increase in calls for THC overdoses by children aged 5 and under between 2017 and 2022, as reported by the Texas Poison Control network. Those opposing the THC ban say it could cause economic and medicinal harm. The proposed THC ban would harm local businesses, farmers and "tens of thousands of hardworking Texans ... who rely on hemp-derived cannabinoids for their wellness," officials with the Texas Hemp Business Council said Wednesday in a press release. "Despite overwhelming testimony and clear data demonstrating the safety and economic value of federally legal hemp-derived cannabinoids, lawmakers have chosen a path that eliminates an entire sector of our economy," the business council said. The industry generates $4.3 billion in retail sales, supports 53,300 state jobs and contributes $268 million in tax revenue, according to the council. "Texas already has strong hemp regulations," the council said. Instead of a ban, the council proposed restricting sales to those who are 21, requiring child-resistant packaging and establishing minimum distances from schools. Abbot has not indicated whether or not he intends to sign S.B. 3 into law.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TWS Launches AI Bud Tender to Revolutionize Cannabis Shopping Experience, Expands into Wholesale
HOUSTON, May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TWS, a leader in the compliant cannabis and smoke shop market, proudly announces the launch of its innovative AI Bud Tender, now live on its online platform. This cutting-edge virtual assistant is designed to help visitors effortlessly discover the right products, answer cannabis-related questions, and enhance the overall shopping journey. The AI Bud Tender offers personalized guidance by understanding user preferences and needs, making it easier than ever for customers to navigate TWS's extensive selection of premium exotic THCA flower, Delta 8, Delta 9, CBD, and Delta 10 products. Whether users are new to cannabis or seasoned enthusiasts, the AI Bud Tender provides tailored recommendations and instant answers, ensuring a seamless and confident shopping experience. "Our mission at TWS has always been to be the one-stop shop for all things cannabis," said Dominik Hussl, Marketing Director at TWS. "By integrating the AI Bud Tender, we're empowering our customers to make informed decisions and find exactly what they're looking for, all from the comfort of their home." Our AI Bud Tender was built by GreenerSEO in Houston. In addition to this technological advancement, TWS is excited to announce its expansion into wholesale. As a wholesaler, TWS now supplies high-quality cannabis and smoke shop products to retailers and other businesses, further cementing its position as a comprehensive resource in the industry. TWS continues to offer a robust dispensary finder, helping users locate over 3,600 dispensaries nationwide, as well as a diverse online shop. With the addition of the AI Bud Tender and wholesale services, TWS remains committed to meeting the evolving needs of cannabis consumers and businesses alike. For more information, visit TWS at Media Contact:Dominik HusslMarketing DirectorTWSEmail: 395335@ Phone: 281-895-2420 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TWS
