{"id":766517,"date":"2026-05-01T19:09:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/766517\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T19:09:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:09:31","slug":"judge-clears-texas-businesses-to-keep-selling-smokable-hemp-products-for-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/766517\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge clears Texas businesses to keep selling smokable hemp products \u2014\u00a0for now"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Smokable hemp is still legal to purchase in Texas thanks to a judge\u2019s ruling. Credit: Shutterstock \/ BenLJohnson<\/p>\n

Fans of smokable hemp may want to burn one in celebration.<\/p>\n

Texas\u2019 hemp industry can continue selling cannabis flower, pre-rolled joints and concentrates after a Travis County judge blocked key parts of the state\u2019s new hemp regulations. The ruling, which remains in place until July 27, is intended to avoid irreparable harm to the businesses while a lawsuit questioning the regulations\u2019 legality plays out. <\/p>\n

Judge Daniella DeSeta Lyttle issued the temporary injunction Friday, blocking Texas health officials from enforcing testing requirements that create a 0.3% total THC threshold that would effectively crush the sale of smokable hemp items.\u00a0THC is the compound in cannabis that gets people high.<\/p>\n

Lyttle also blocked state rules meant to hinder the transport of smokable hemp along with greatly increased licensing and registration fees state regulators placed on the hemp industry. The Texas Department of State Health Services created the rules at the order of Gov. Greg Abbott, who asked the agency to set up a new regulatory framework for the industry. <\/p>\n

In their lawsuit challenging the rules, hemp industry groups argue DSHS overstepped its constitutional authority by rewriting definitions of hemp lawmakers created in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Industry officials also maintain the state restrictions would cripple or kill businesses statewide. <\/p>\n

In testimony during this week\u2019s proceeding, retailers told the court their revenue has fallen by half since Texas imposed the new rules, according to the Texas Tribune<\/a>. Manufacturers and farmers are also suffering severe damage because the state had essentially made hemp flower worthless, they also argued.<\/p>\n

In the end, Lyttle agreed with industry officials, ruling that Texas regulators are doing irreparable harm to the hemp businesses and that the most damaging rules shouldn\u2019t be enforced until the lawsuit is resolved. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Court finds that the purpose of a temporary injunction is to preserve the last, actual, peaceable, non-contested status that preceded the controversy,\u201d the judge said, according to the Texas Tribune. <\/p>\n

Lyttle\u2019s injunction doesn\u2019t block all of Texas\u2019 new hemp regulations, however. She allowed unchallenged rules such as child-resistant safety packaging and 21-and-up age verification to remain in place. <\/p>\n

Even so, Texas is widely expected to appeal the judge\u2019s injunction. <\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Texas\u2019\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tSan Antonio dispensaries say they plan to soldier on, but smokeable products account for a large portion of their sales.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Texas\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tTwo state agencies have now adopted the temporary rule while they work to adopt formal rules to limit who can buy THC products.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Gov.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe move comes after the Texas Legislature couldn\u2019t agree whether to regulate the growing industry or ban it completely. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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