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The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) held a public meeting on Thursday for comments on new rules proposed to regulate the sale of hemp products in Texas.
The meeting covered the rules that were proposed last month by the TABC in response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order issued earlier this year. The proposed rules prohibit TABC licensees from selling consumable hemp products to anyone under the age of 21.
Jeromy Sherman is co-founder of Bayou City Hemp Company, Inc., one of the state’s largest hemp processors. He asked the commission to crack down on online sales of hemp.
“Unfortunately, many online sellers ignore age verification protections entirely, creating an uneven playing field where responsible Texas businesses absorb real compliance costs while bad actors ship consumable hemp products with little oversight," he told the commission.
Nicole Holt is with Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth. She asked the commission to consider raising the age to 25-and-over to legally purchase hemp products.
“To align with the most current neurological and behavioral research, we urge the commission to adopt 25 years of age as the minimum legal age for consumable hemp and THC products,” she said.
“This recommendation is based on substantial evidence that the human brain continues developing through the mid-20s and that early exposure to psychoactive substances can significantly increase risk for mental illness, addiction, and impaired cognition.”
Most of the commenters in Thursday’s hearing praised the TABC for its efforts to regulate the industry.
Comments on the proposed rules will be accepted until January 4. TABC will vote on a formal adoption of the regulations in January.
The fate of the entire hemp industry nationwide is questionable after congress placed restrictions on hemp growers as part of the funding bill to reopen the government. The bill will undo a provision in the 2018 Farm Bill which has allowed hemp producers to thrive. The hemp industry in Texas is worth approximately 8 billion dollars in economic value.
