The Dallas Morning News carried a news story that may have come as a surprise to producers, resellers and users of some hemp/THC products. The Texas Department of State Health Services updated its website in October to clarify that delta-8 cannabis extract and delta-9 products over .3% THC were still Schedule 1 controlled substances.
Meaning, you can still be arrested for possessing them. And according to the news story, at least six Texans were charged with felony possession of delta-8 THC products in the prior three months.
Why would resellers and legal buyers be confused?
The 2018 federal Farm Bill made delta-8, a cannabinoid, legal at the federal level. And in 2019, Gov. Abbott signed House Bill 1325 legalizing hemp products with less than 0.3% THC in them. These two actions caused CBD shop owners and customers to think delta-8 THC products were legal. They come in the form of edible candy, oil tinctures, and even vape cartridges.
But Texas doesn’t have to agree with the federal government.
And it didn’t. Dr. John Hellerstedt, Commissioner for the Texas Department of State Health Services, objected to the federal drug schedule. Texas state law on hemp didn’t specifically discuss delta-8 so the agency’s interpretation is that it is not allowed for manufacture or sale. In May 2021, the Texas Health Department issued a clarification stating that delta-8 THC and “other THC isomers” remain on the list of Schedule 1 drugs.
So, what was legal in the rest of the country became, or remained, illegal in Texas … until November.
That’s when a Travis County judge blocked the state from adding delta-8 to the list of Schedule 1 drugs, according to a Texas Tribune article. THC retailers said they were not given adequate notice of the classification change. The judge agreed that the DSHS didn’t comply with the state’s rule-making requirements.
It’s too soon to say what will happen with this ruling. In the meantime, enforcement of the state’s marijuana/THC possession laws are up to local and state law enforcement. Texas residents who face felony drug charges for possession of a Class I controlled substance (delta-8) could be sentenced to up to 2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
If you are facing criminal charges for possession of marijuana, a THC extract, cannabis oil, or a vape pen with THC residue, you need a strong defense. Call the Weatherford drug crimes defense attorneys at Lee and Wood, LP. at 817-678-6771 or contact us online.