A coalition of hemp industry stakeholders and advocacy groups filed a temporary restraining order against the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on Tuesday, seeking to block recently implemented ban on smoked hemp products, Texas Tribune reports.

Enacted on March 31, the ban bans the sale of cannabis flowers, pre-rolls and vaporizers. DSHS officials targeted the products by updating state regulations to count the cannabinoid THCA — which by itself is not intoxicating, but when decarboxylated (heated or burned), turns into delta-9 THC — toward the maximum THC allowed in hemp products. According to state law, hemp-derived products must not exceed the federal limit of 0.3% THC content.

In their challenge, however, the plaintiffs argue that state officials lacked the authority to issue such sweeping changes.

“Under current Texas law, hemp is defined by its delta-9 THC concentration of no more than 0.3%. These Texas officials and state agencies are clearly trying to create new law in direct opposition to what the Texas legislature intended.” — David Sergi, attorney for the Hemp Coalition, in a press release

Meanwhile, officials also passed new product testing and age verification requirements and significantly raised the state’s hemp licensing fees. The Hemp Industry Coalition is not challenging those changes.

“Texas hemp businesses wholeheartedly support those regulations, as they are under the agency’s authority,” Sergi said in the report. “We’re seeking to stop rules that would effectively end the state’s production of hemp and the sale of hemp products — items the Legislature chose not to ban during recent legislative and special sessions.”

There will be no protections provided in Nebraska state law this year for doctors who refer patients to the state’s medical cannabis program after cannabis opponents blocked the legislation from state Sen. John Cavanaugh (R). NTV reports.

legislators voted to approve proposal during early review. However, in subsequent debates, opponents of medical cannabis derailed the bill with amendments that sought to change the intent of the proposal.

With the added changes, Cavanaugh eventually withdrew the bill from consideration, noting that “This bill no longer serves the purpose of ensuring that children have access to medicine.”

“Every amendment that has been introduced to that bill is hostile and an attempt to hijack that bill and go against the will of the voters.” – Cavanaugh, via NTV

Nebraska voters overwhelmingly approved the state’s medical cannabis program in 2024, but rollout has been slow and, for many advocates, frustrating.

Crista Eggers of the Nebraskans Campaign for Medical Marijuana said KETV“If there are no practitioners, there are no patients in this program.”

“What seems to be the purpose of this is to make sure that Nebraska never has a functioning program,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Nebraska Legislature approved last week the first state legislation related to the medical cannabis program. This bill would allow the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to impose new fees on the industry and increase revenue.