For those of us who carefully follow the marijuana industry in our state, it’s no secret that certain government agencies in this country just don’t want to see us win. Fortunately, most states are finally hopping on board in allowing medical marijuana in the form of CBD at the very least, but it appears we still have a ways to go when it comes to any form of cannabis in a stronger medical or recreational sense. If you are familiar with ‘cannabis lite’ products, then you have definitely heard of something called Delta-8. What is Delta-8? It’s basically a form of CBD that still has some THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis.
However, the Texas Department of State Health Services has recently made the awful decision of completely outlying Delta-8. In fact, the state has decided that any form of THC in cannabis is to be outlawed. Trying to order your cannabis online from an out-of-state dispensary? Too bad. Ordering Delta-8 online is now a felony offense in the state of Texas. So if you live in Texas and what your fix of Delta-8 is, you’re pretty much out of luck my friend. This ban is somewhat surprising, especially as Delta-8 has become quite popular among the cannabis community; plus, it has been legal for quite some time without any problems. However, Texas has decided that all cannabis products with THC are out of the question.
If you have any leftover Delta-8 products in your bedroom or bathroom cupboards, you best clean those out now and get rid of the evidence! The penalties for Delta-8 possession in Texas are also pretty steep. This is surprising to me, especially because Delta-8 was seen as completely legal before this ban. Basically, the state of Texas will treat Delta-8 cannabis possession the same as Delta-9 marijuana. The same policies also apply to any sort of distribution or retail of Delta-8 products.
Anybody possessing THC in any form or potency in the state of Texas can now face some serious legal consequences. As per the Texas Department of State Health Services, these are the following criminal penalties for controlled substance use (yes, this now includes Delta-8 THC): a class C misdemeanor charge and a $500 fine with no jail time (for possession of paraphernalia), as well as a class B misdemeanor which can lead to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine (for possession of up to two ounces of cannabis).
Is there a future for cannabis laws in Texas? Maybe - it’s hard to say. However, there was a vote for House Bill 441 that received a 7 to 1 majority in favor that would reduce the penalty for possessing marijuana to a class C misdemeanor that would entail a $500 fine and no jail time. In my opinion, this is only a small step in the right direction. The fact that all types of THC have been completely outlawed in the state of Texas is beyond me. I believe that there are a lot of other Texas citizens out there who feel the way I do as well.
It is written that a good majority of Texas residents are in support of legalization. However, that still leaves a lot of people left who are completely not in favor of legalizing cannabis. While psychoactive forms of cannabis are clearly not going to be allowed in Texas for a good while, consumers can still regularly buy their CBD just like the old days. In my opinion, the state of Texas did all of us medical marijuana users dirty by outlawing Delta-8. However, it seems like there is really not a whole lot that can be done at the moment.
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