Latest news with #TomOliverson
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers move to ban legal THC, hemp amid medical marijuana expansion
Texas lawmakers have passed a ban on nonmedical sales of THC, the intoxicating ingredient in cannabis, sending the measure to Gov. Greg Abbott (R). 'If it gets you high, it is not legal anymore' state Rep. Tom Oliverson (R), who sponsored the House bill, told The Dallas Morning News. In passing the ban, Texas joins a wide array of states, including Colorado, Iowa, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska, that have banned or restricted intoxicating forms of hemp, or the compounds derived from it. It comes alongside a push by Texas Republicans to significantly expand the state's medical marijuana program. Under the new ban, possession of hemp products now carries a dramatically stricter penalty than possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) had threatened to hold up the state's ability to pass a budget if the House didn't pass S.B. 3, the companion legislation in the Senate. 'We cannot in good conscience leave Austin without banning THC,' Patrick said in a video posted on Monday. 'I've been here for 17 years at the Texas Capitol — 10 years as your lieutenant governor. I've never been more passionate about anything,' he added. If signed into law, the bill would represent a 'minor earthquake for the state's economy,' the Texas Tribune reported. A study funded by the Texas hemp industry found that the hemp business generates more than $5 billion in revenue and employs more than 53,000 workers, at an average of about $40,000 per year. The Texas Hemp Business Council, which had fought for security measures such as age verification and child-resistant packaging instead of a ban, vowed to sue over the bill, which it said 'dismantles the legal hemp industry.' Since 2019, Texas has been at the forefront of a national experiment in back-door cannabis legalization, after the Legislature passed a bill legalizing 'consumable hemp,' as opposed to the industrial variety used for fiber. That bill followed the 2018 passage of the Farm Bill by the all-Republican caucus. The language of that bill inadvertently laid the foundation for cannabis legalization across the country — provided it was called hemp, rather than marijuana, which is still illegal in Texas for nonmedical use. The law, however, created no guardrails, regulation or safety testing for the new industry that sprung up — something exacerbated by the Food and Drug Administration's refusal to meaningfully regulate hemp-based foods and beverages. Six years later, with pre-rolled joints and THC-infused drinks available at sleek dispensaries and run-down gas stations in the state, many conservative legislators now view that loophole as a mistake. 'What began in 2019 as a bipartisan effort to support Texas agriculture has since been hijacked by a cottage industry of unregulated THC sellers,' Oliverson said, per the Texas Tribune. For medical marijuana providers in Texas and elsewhere, the hemp industry is a wild-west competitor — not subject to the strict safety testing, sales limits or security controls that govern legal marijuana. As such, many of the states that preceded Texas in banning hemp — like Alaska, California and Colorado — have tightly regulated legal recreational and medical marijuana programs, for whom the hemp industry is a wild-west competitor. Texas's small medical cannabis industry has supported of restrictions on hemp, which its leaders say threaten to drive them out of business — and that corner of the industry stands to win big this session. In addition to a ban on its gray-market competitors, new legislation likely to pass this session would widen the number of covered conditions that can be treated with marijuana in Texas, and create licenses for nearly a dozen new dispensaries across the state. But unlike in Colorado or California, recreational users in Texas will be largely out of luck — or will turn to the black market, state Democrats argued. While bill opponents acknowledged the problem of an unregulated industry, they argued that the solution was to make sure the widespread demand for THC was met safely. 'Bans don't work,' said Dallas-area state Rep. Rafael Anchía, (D). 'We'll return to a completely unregulated black market where these products will find their way to young people today. If anybody's to blame about the state of affairs, it's us, in underregulating this marketplace.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Gizmodo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
Texas Is Gearing Up to Ban THC
Everything is bigger in Texas, except the THC industry, which may disappear entirely. Just six years after the state opened up hemp sales, the Texas House voted this week to outright ban the sale of products containing any amount of THC, according to the Texas Tribune—a prohibition that will upend a major industry within the state and implement stricter punishments for consumers. The statehouse took up the proposed total ban on THC products Wednesday night and approved the measure by a vote of 86-53, falling largely along party lines. Per the Houston Chronicle, members of the Texas House had been exploring introducing new regulations on the hemp industry instead of going for the full ban, including a ban on vapes and synthetic compounds, as well as cracking down on packaging and products designed to appeal to children. But, at the urging of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, the legislators embraced the full prohibition approach. The Senate has already passed a version of bill, so there are just a few procedural hurdles left to clear before a final version gets sent to Governor Greg Abbott to sign it into law or reject it. Banning pot products has been one of the top legislative goals of Lt. Gov. Patrick, who claims the products have been fueling a public health crisis. He found plenty of allies in the statehouse, including House bill sponsor Tom Oliverson. The Republican representative told The Dallas Morning News that, under the bill, 'If it gets you high, it is not legal anymore.' The crackdown will come with some strict penalties for those caught with THC-laden consumables. The bill would carry a penalty of up to one year in jail for an adult who possesses hemp products with any amount of THC. The Texas Tribune noted that this is a stricter penalty than the one imposed for getting caught with 2 ounces of marijuana. Hemp products were first legalized in Texas a part of a 2019 farm bill, and a massive industry has cropped up around THC since then. One report estimates that the hemp business generates about $8 billion in revenue per year in Texas and employs more than 50,000 workers. All of that could disappear overnight should the full prohibition go into effect. While a flat ban on THC is a draconian step, especially given the option to regulate the industry was on the table, Texas isn't the only state pumping the brakes on the hemp industry. Several others, including Colorado, have taken steps to regulate intoxicating hemp products over concerns as to how strong they are and how they affect users. Last year, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine called for federal standards to be put in place for intoxicating products derived from hemp, driven by the growing market of THC concentrates and vape oils that have become available and offer significantly higher doses of THC than dried flower.
The Hill
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Texas lawmakers move to ban legal THC, hemp amid medical marijuana expansion
Texas lawmakers have passed a ban on non-medical sales of THC, the intoxicating ingredient in cannabis, sending the measure to Gov. Greg Abbott (R). 'If it gets you high, it is not legal anymore' state Rep. Tom Oliverson (R), who sponsored the House bill, told the Dallas Morning News. In passing the ban, Texas joins a wide array of states, including Colorado, Iowa, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska, that have banned or heavily restricted intoxicating forms of hemp, or the compounds derived from it. It comes alongside a push by Texas Republicans to significantly expand the state's medical marijauna program. Under the new ban, possession of hemp products now carries a dramatically stricter penalty than possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) had threatened to hold up the state's ability to pass a budget if the House didn't pass S.B. 3, the companion legislation in the Senate. 'We cannot in good conscious leave Austin without banning THC,' Patrick said in a video posted on Monday. 'I've been here for 17 years at the Texas Capitol — 10 years as your lieutenant governor. I've never been more passionate about anything,' he added. If signed into law, the bill would represent a 'minor earthquake for the state's economy,' the Texas Tribune reported. A study funded by the Texas hemp industry found that the hemp business generates more than $5 billion in revenue and employs more than 53,000 workers, at an average of about $40,000 per year. The Texas Hemp Business Council, which had fought for security measures such as age verification and child-resistant packaging instead of a ban, vowed to sue over the bill, which it said 'dismantles the legal hemp industry.' Since 2019, Texas has been at the forefront of a national experiment in back-door cannabis legalization, after the legislature passed a bill legalizing 'consumable hemp,' as opposed to the industrial variety used for fiber. That bill followed the 2018 passage of the Farm Bill by an the all-Republican caucus. The language of that bill inadvertently laid the foundation for cannabis legalization across the country — provided it was called hemp, rather than marijuana, which is still illegal in Texas for non-medical use. The law, however, created no guardrails, regulation or safety testing for the new industry that sprung up — something exacerbated by the Food and Drug Administration's refusal to meaningfully regulate hemp-based foods and beverages. Six years later, with pre-rolled joints and THC-infused drinks available at sleek dispensaries and run-down gas stations in the state, many conservative legislators now view that loophole as a mistake. 'What began in 2019 as a bipartisan effort to support Texas agriculture has since been hijacked by a cottage industry of unregulated THC sellers,' Oliverson said, per the Texas Tribune. For medical marijuana providers in Texas and elsewhere, the hemp industry is a wild-west competitor — not subject to the strict safety testing, sales limits or security controls that govern legal marijuana. As such, many of the states that preceded Texas in banning hemp — like Alaska, California and Colordao — have tightly regulated legal recreational and medical marijuana programs, for whom the hemp industry is a wild-west competitor. Texas's small medical cannabis industry has supported of restrictions on hemp, which its leaders say threaten to drive them out of business — and that corner of the industry stands to win big this session. In addition to a ban on its gray-market competitors, new legislation likely to pass this session would widen the number of covered conditions that can be treated with marijuana in Texas, and create licenses for nearly a dozen new dispensaries across the state. But unlike in Colorado or California, recreational users in Texas will be largely out of luck — or will turn to the black market, state Democrats argued. While bill opponents acknowledged the problem of an unregulated industry, they argued that the solution was to make sure the widespread demand for THC was met safely. 'Bans don't work,' said Dallas-area state Rep. Rafael Anchía, (D). 'We'll return to a completely unregulated black market where these products will find their way to young people today. If anybody's to blame about the state of affairs, it's us, in underregulating this marketplace.'
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Texas House Approves Total Ban On Hemp THC Products
The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill that would enact a total ban on consumable hemp ... More products with any amount of THC. The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday approved an amended hemp regulation bill that would enact a total ban on hemp products with any amount of THC. The legislation, Senate Bill 3, was passed by House lawmakers late Wednesday night, with a final vote scheduled for Thursday. The legislation is an amended version of a bill passed by the Texas Senate in March. The measure was prompted by calls from Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to ban hemp products with THC. The Senate version included a total THC ban, and Patrick threatened to extend the current legislative session if House lawmakers did not follow suit. 'I've been here for 17 years at the Texas Capitol — 10 years as your lieutenant governor. I've never been more passionate about anything,' Patrick said in a video posted on social media Monday evening, the Texas Tribune reported. 'I'm not gonna leave Austin until we get this done.' As originally considered by the House, SB 3 would regulate consumable hemp products including a ban on vapes, snacks and candies, which critics say are attractive to children and pose a risk of accidental consumption. But Republican state Rep. Tom Oliverson, a board-certified anesthesiologist, said that plan did not go far enough. He said the federal legalization of hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill, which capped THC in consumable products at 0.3% THC, and subsequent state legislation have evolved into a situation that lawmakers did not envision. 'What began in 2019 as a bipartisan effort to support Texas agriculture has since been hijacked by a cottage industry of unregulated THC sellers,' Oliverson said, according to a report from CBS Austin. The lawmaker addressed the issue by offering an amendment to SB 3 that would enact a total ban on all hemp products with any form and amount of THC, the cannabis compound largely responsible for the well-known psychoactive effects of marijuana. 'We are not banning hemp. We are banning high,' Oliverson said. 'It draws a bright, enforceable line with no wiggle room. No more Delta 8, no more Delta 10, or chemically altered THC extracts. No more legal gray zones.' Hemp products with any amount of THC would be banned by SB 3. Democratic Rep. Josey Garcia opposed Oliverson's amendment, noting that many military veterans use hemp THC products to address conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and pain. 'A total ban on THC products is establishing a very dangerous precedent for our veterans to have access to relief now,' Garcia said. Acknowledging that there are exceptions for compassionate use, Garcia said that the provisions to not go far enough to protect veterans. 'I've looked it up. I've seen no deaths caused by THC in Texas. I've looked it up, Delta 9 in Texas,' Garcia said. 'And the worst thing we could do is sell out of more snacks.' Rep. Gene Wu, the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said the ban on hemp THC is a pivot 'backwards in time' that contrasts with the cannabis policy reforms approved in other states around the country. 'We're still rehashing parts of 'Reefer Madness' from the '50s and '60s,' Wu said. 'We thought that we've gotten past this, that we've grown, that we've gotten smarter. … But here we are, back again.' Lukas Gilkey, CEO of hemp products manufacturer Hometown Hero, said in a video posted on the social media platform X that the Texas Hemp Business Council would file a lawsuit to block the implementation of SB 3 if it becomes law. After the bill cleared the House late Wednesday, the trade group issued a statement claiming that lawmakers had ignored 'the voices of small businesses, farmers, veterans and consumers across the state who rely on hemp-derived products for their livelihoods and well-being.' After a final vote in the House, SB 3 will head back to the Texas Senate, where differences in the version passed by the House must be reconciled before the bill can advance to the governor's desk. The Texas Tribune reports that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has not revealed if he will sign the legislation.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trio of bills aim to strengthen Texas death investigations
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Three Republican-authored bills under consideration at the Capitol could have a wide-ranging impact on Texas' death investigation systems. Rep. Tom Oliverson, a medical doctor and anesthesiologist from Cypress, authored two measures: one to require medical examiner review before bodies are cremated, and another that would mandate medical examiners to be board certified. Legislation by Sen. Tan Parker, of Flower Mound, would expand the number of counties eligible to create medical examiner offices for death investigations. Dr. Stephen Pustilnik, chief medical examiner of Fort Bend County, backs all the bills and spoke at several hearings on the measures. He said each piece of legislation is a stepping stone toward improved death investigations across the state. READ THE FULL STORY: Trio of bills aim to strengthen Texas death investigations Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
