Delta-8

Ban all THC from Texas—that’s what Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants this coming legislative session.Patrick says since 2023, thousands of stores selling THC products popped up across the state, and many of these products are getting in the hands of children. But will a ban work?

Can Texas lawmakers rein in sales of THC hemp products like Delta-8 and 9? The products are largely unregulated and widely sold, even to children. And in the time of growing drought, Mexico’s water debt is becoming a bigger issue along the border.

Delta-8 is a hemp product designed to get users high, but misleading labels or added chemicals have caused people to get sick. And a lack of federal regulation or guidance has states stepping in.

Even in states where marijuana is outlawed, a loophole in federal drug law is allowing the sale of "Delta 8" products, a substance made by isolating a type of THC in the hemp plant that isn't illegal.

Texas hemp shop owners are celebrating recent signals from the Drug Enforcement Administration that delta-8 is not a controlled substance at this time.

A judge has blocked Texas from listing the cannabis extract delta-8 THC as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Shops in Texas can now resume offering delta-8 to customers.

Last Friday the Department of State Health Services quietly added delta-8 to its list of illegal drugs.

In Texas, marijuana is largely illegal. But Delta-8 THC, which is derived from the hemp plant, has become wildly popular in the Lone Star State.