{"id":766790,"date":"2026-05-01T22:02:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T22:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/766790\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T22:02:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T22:02:17","slug":"harris-county-da-to-law-enforcement-lab-testing-limits-charges-that-can-be-filed-involving-thc-vape-pens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/766790\/","title":{"rendered":"Harris County DA to law enforcement: Lab testing limits charges that can be filed involving THC vape pens"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\"><strong>HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/topic\/Sean_Teare\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/topic\/Sean_Teare\/\">Harris County District Attorney<\/a> Sean Teare\u2019s office is telling local law enforcement agencies it cannot accept charges against individuals possessing a vape pen suspected to contain THC, according to new guidance obtained by KPRC 2 News.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">A spokesperson for the DA\u2019s office confirmed Teare sent a letter and the new guidance to law enforcement agencies earlier this week after several inquiries from local departments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The guidance was necessary, officials said, because of a lack of ability to prove the origin of THC in vape pens based on current lab capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>New guidance<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Under the new guidance, the DA\u2019s office says it will not accept charges for individuals possessing a vape pen believed to contain THC because local crime laboratories are not able to determine \u201cif the THC in vape pen oil is derived from marijuana, hemp, or produced synthetically, making these products materially different from smokeable hemp flower and pre-rolled joints,\u201d according to the document.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Under state law, hemp is excluded as a controlled substance, and hemp is defined as \u201cthe plant Cannabis sativa L and . . . extracts . . . with a delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.\u201d <\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">While local crime labs can determine whether THC is present in a vape, and the DPS lab can determine if delta-9-THC levels are above 1%, the DA\u2019s office guidance indicates none of the local crime labs are able to determine the exact delta-9-THC concentration if it\u2019s between 0.3% and 1%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Since vape pens require liquid and the legislature did not define the meaning of the word \u201cdry,\u201d DA\u2019s office general counsel Joshua Reiss said it presents a challenge for determining legally acceptable levels. He added that storing vape pens as evidence presents a risk to property rooms as the devices utilize lithium batteries and have caused fires in the past.<\/p>\n<p>Legislation issues<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">In a letter to law enforcement agencies, Teare wrote that \u201crecent changes in state law, combined with a rapidly evolving cannabis industry, have understandably led to confusion among officers regarding which THC-related and THC vape pen possession charges HCDAO will accept.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">A DA\u2019s office spokesperson told KPRC 2 News they hope future legislation will create clarity.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s still accepted<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">In the same guidance document, the DA\u2019s office indicates that agencies that seize vape pens from retail establishments \u201cmarketed as containing THC should seek charges at HCDAO.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The agencies should also follow state requirements for disposing and destructing seized vape pens.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Under this section of the state law, Reiss said testing is not required of the products, but it\u2019s a class A misdemeanor if the products are marketed, advertised, offered for sale, or sold. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">As part of the guidance, the DA wrote that it\u2019s not designed to impact any school policies, reiterating that e-cigarette possession by minor remains a class C misdemeanor and any \u201cschool policies prohibiting e-cigarettes, including vapes by minors, are fully enforceable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Subject to change<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The current guidance being offered is based on an analysis of laws and discussions with the Houston Forensic Science Center, Harris County Institute of Forensic Science, and the DPS Crime Laboratory Division, but the DA\u2019s office indicates updated guidance could come as legal definitions and scientific methodologies continue to develop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe pledge to always work closely with law enforcement to investigate, charge, and prosecute serious drug-related crimes, and we remain particularly focused on dismantling organized gangs, stopping the trafficking and selling of lethal controlled substances,\u201d Teare wrote in the letter.<\/p>\n<p>Start Here, Houston<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 kiwhtN\">More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare\u2019s office is telling local law enforcement agencies it cannot accept&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":766791,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5130],"tags":[6386,14263,4345,358,11102,3187,24819],"class_list":["post-766790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-harris-county","tag-harris-county-district-attorneys-office","tag-houston","tag-texas","tag-thc","tag-tx","tag-vapes"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116501580882705403","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/766790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=766790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/766790\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/766791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=766790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=766790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=766790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}