This week the Texas House of Representatives held 3 committee hearings to cover cannabis bills across multiple types and spectrums of the industry as a whole.
Tuesday saw the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee hearing seven penalty reduction bills to move various amounts of cannabis flower and concentrates from one set of penalties to lower ones. Citizens testified on the penalty reduction of concentrates with bill HB169 having Army veteran David Bass describing how to make brownie edibles and asking why adding the ingredients magically become considered a controlled substance as well when weighed for penalties. Other testified on the penalty reductions of Class B to Class A to include HB 99 and HB 441. Advocates stayed through the night to hear the two bills, which were not completed with testimony hearings until close to 6 a.m. the next day. Representative Toth (R) even faced times in the committee where he sat for 7 hours, occasionally being teased on when his bill would come up, by committee members.
Learn how to become a medical cannabis patient in Texas
Update from Jax Finkel of TXNORML: The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee called a formal meeting to deal with considering important, pending business. I just confirmed with the Committee clerk that they included #HB441 and #HB2593 on the agenda and that BOTH passed out of committee! We wont have the voting record until they update the site later.
Medical Cannabis Expansion HB1535
Wednesday morning saw the Public Health committee meeting at 8 am (just two hours after advocates were just testifying) to start the meeting with Chair Rep. Klick’s HB 1535.
The consensus message across people testifying was that doctors need to decide what amount of THC patients need and how much of a dose of THC is given. Patients testified to how the filler oils and substances used with the cannabis concentrates in the medical program are causing intestinal issues. Others testified as to how their conditions have been proven in studies to take care of medical issues, but yet they still be accepted into the program under the new bill. Several people testified as to how they appreciate the work the the representative has gone through to craft a bill that has a likely chance to pass the Senate.
The hearing faced controversy when one person, Attorney Lisa Pittman, registered to testify and was approached by the assistant clerk for the committee (while in the hearing room) and asked if she was there to testify. Shortly after a few more testimonies, advocate Elizabeth Miller was called. Since she was in the overflow room watching a stream on a 20-second delay, she was unable to get to the hearing room in time and the entire hearing was closed. Pittman and Miller both called out that they weren’t given the opportunity to testify and were told immediately that it did not matter as the hearing for the ill had been closed and the committee was adjourned for a break until further notice.
Later that day the bill was voted out of committee with unanimous support. Now the bill moves on to Calendars to be scheduled for a Texas House floor hearing.
Hemp Cleanup Bill HB3948
Advocates for cannabis and the hemp community gathered for testimony Thursday morning on Rep King’s HB3948 which lasted into the mid-afternoon. Rep Tracy King (D) filed HB 3948 on March 11, which relates to the production and regulation of hemp and consumable hemp products; providing administrative penalties; imposing and authorizing fees; creating a criminal offense.
Figures such as Ben Megs of Bayou City Hemp, Jesse Kerns of New Bloom Labs, Aaron Owens of Tejas hemp and the Texas Hemp Coalition, Dr. Elias Jackson, Coleman Hemphill of Ionization Labs, cannabis attorneys attorneys Susan Hays and Lisa Pittman.
Testimony revolved around multiple topics. Advocates came to testify on testing requirements in the state. Testing requirements covered a range of what testing limitations were with hemp crop THC amounts to lab testing requirements of crops such 3rd party independent testing.
Citizens testifying talked about how the past year has been a giant learning curve
“While large sales growth is projected, its imperative given that we joined the industry late that we keep this program as open as possible,” stated Ben Megs of Bayou City Hemp.
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Megs continued, noting that he was in favor as the bill gives TDA rules to stay compliant with USDA rules as rules change, and this allows us to stay within federal guildines on both farming and retail side.
Several members of the TX Hemp Coalition testified including Aaron Owens, excutive board member, and owner of Tejas Hemp
“ Extending the harvest windows from 20 to 30 days as this gives the best chance possible to navigate the real life challenges of getting a crop ready for lab and harvest.”
Owens noted that it would be I deal to allow TDA to make rule changes such as 0.3 to 1% negligence to keep up with federal rules. This keeps everyone in line with federal law which can change at any moment and without having to wait on the legislature.
“We haven’t established that system that actually protects the grower’s products. They need to have confidence in the fact that in competition their product is not standing next to an illegal player,” Dr Elias Jacson told the committee.
Other members of the witness lineup testified to how testing on how certification should left up to private visit businesses and how certification is for medical programs, which this is not.
Zachary Maxwell, President of Texas Hemp Growers, pointed out this issue and added that the manifest fee of $75 needs to be eliminated. He believes the one way transportation fee per manifest for one transport, $75, goes against current state law and is way too costly for the average Texas farmer.
Attorney Susan Hays, representing Wild Hempettes for this bill noted that she as a lawyer is seeing an
increase in clients involving hemp businesses.
“We need to repeal the ban on production of smokable hemp. It’s a law on legal items that doesn’t have a clear goal. It is costly for the government to fight to keep that in place with court cases.”