Cannabis News

Texas Crime Labs Say They Don’t Have Enough Resources To Test Hemp Products For THC As Lawmakers Consider Ban

Published

11 months ago

August 17, 2025

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“I will be Fentanyl Priority Before Hemp, and all dollars that test drugs is a dollar that I don’t try a sexual attack kit.”

Stephen Simpson, Texas Tribune

As a legislative Texas dispute EE Whether thc products are regulated or banned, state crime laboratory officials say that resources do not exceed the law.

“Compassionate crime, we don’t have a dog in that struggle. I don’t care what I need to test, and then I need the result so I can give this result” Peter StoutThe President of the Houston Forensic Science Center and Director General, Texas Tribune said after Texas Tribune after testifying the House on the Public Health Commission on Wednesday. “Otherwise, I become the reason why the wheel falls from this wagon, basically been the last six years now.”

Focused on the Audience of the Wednesday Commission House 5. BillCannabidiola and other non-cannabinoids that would create a ban on products that are non-cannabinoids, CBD and CBG, known as cannabis components. This invoice would delete most hemp products, including legal under the federal definition.

“There have been many new and synthetic cannabinoids and consumer effects, and these products have been easily available,” Rep. Gary VankaverR-Boston New Boston, Committee chair and HB 5 author. “Some of these products are marketed in a way attractive for children, such as ordinary food products, like sweets.”

The version of the Senate invoice also requires a ban, but Gov. Greg Abbott this year, this year, this year, he observed similar legislation that would prohibit thc, signaled that some legislators support more regulations through a ban.

Kim Carmichael, Spokesperson for Homemade Spokespersons Dustin BurrowsR-Lubbock said Texas Tribune did not ban the house.

“HB 5 submitted as a regular invoice for those who passed the house in the usual session, as well as the logical starting point for negotiations,” Carmichael said. “Since the passage of this form, members believed they thought they should start the debate again. It would still be heard in the process of public hearing and the flooring, so it is not known at the moment.”

On Wednesday legislators invited experts about Thc’s health risks, which emphasize the industry is impossible for network crimes and enforcement task.

Alice AmmilhatThe main collaborating member of the Crime Labidatory Sefidings Sefiding told the law that DPS Crime Lab is equalized with demands, and whatever legislators decide, it will be an expensive process.

“I don’t have financial statements, but if the ban is passed, the testing process will be easier, but the problem we don’t know if it will also increase the case,” he said. “We don’t know how many cases they will be included, we don’t know how much confiscation, we don’t know that the enforcement of the law needs our help.”

Texas crime laboratories found in any situation that can be regulated by THC. If the ban is passed, the tests will be quite simple, because all crime laboratories should determine if there is substance, but it still means more cases. It is not forbidden, rather than THC regulations can drive up its caselodes and the process of testing can be more expensive and time consumed, if necessary, per substances should be perceived in the permit. Two scenarios are not unbearable for crime laboratories, who fight dead drugs, with the resources currently.

“There are only 266 drug chemicals in the state,” said law managers. “I pay attention to Fentanyl, and you guess (THC) (THC), then I will invest in testing equipment and other things.”

Throughout the Stout of the Stout Criminal laboratories have retreated in cases where hundreds of thousand depth reaches, and compared to sexual assault and firearms, Thc will test the lesser.

“I had the voice that I don’t have investments in Houston at the scale we probably need, because I can’t keep fentanyl with pills,” said the tribune. “So I will be Fentanyl priority before hemp, and testing drugs every dollar I spend a dollar is a dollar that I don’t try a sexual attack kit.”

DPS Half of the Court Work carried out in the state and the rest of the municipal, regional or regional laboratories are managed. Each has a source of funding that can be inconsistent, but not enough, according to crime laboratories.

Stout said the average crime laboratory of the country obtains about $ 600 in financing for each case, as laboratories require $ 2,500 per person to cover employees, time and equipment. He said, beyond the money problem, the time consuming the nature of training is concern, and there is no license for drug chemists waiting for work.

“We have resources under the Court Laboratory so long, there is no pipeline or workplace,” he said. “People are not there, and there is no money.”

A Continuous challenges It has been cases of resolving years in crime laboratories. Crime laboratories do not have work load control, any substance or case enforcement decides to focus on crime laboratories, whether they are ready.

“Okay, boy, you need me to respond to that sex attack kit and that homicide, which you want to do first?” Stout said. “Because we can’t do it all. Help me here.”

Stout said crime laboratories need more money and time.

“And that’s what this isn’t wrong, that no one wants to hear. They want to give us a big money and go to other things, but it doesn’t work like that, he said.

This article originally appeared Texas Tribune in https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/08/08/08/09,.

The Texas Tribuna is a member equipped with members, but is not in Texans State politics and politics. Learn more in Texastribune.org.

Photo courtesy Kimzy Nanney.

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Cannabis News

cbdMD welcomes White House call for fair treatment of hemp-derived products

Published

18 hours ago

June 29, 2026

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cbdMD welcomes the Administration’s call for Congress to ensure fair treatment of hemp-derived products under federal law and calls for immediate action to revise hemp regulations to ensure fair treatment of hemp products under federal law.

In a letter to congressional leadership this week, the White House Office of Management and Budget identified hemp reform as a priority strongly supported by the Administration. The petition calls on Congress to ensure fair treatment of hemp-derived products by maintaining access to appropriate full-spectrum CBD products, and by maintaining Congress’ intent to reduce products that pose health risks. The administration also urged Congress to pass a responsible federal framework or at least extend the current implementation period to give lawmakers time to get policy right. The request builds on the president’s previous public statements urging lawmakers to protect access to full-spectrum CBD products that millions of Americans rely on.

“We are encouraged to see the administration so clearly championing the responsible, scientific hemp products that consumers depend on every day,” said Ronan Kennedy, CEO of cbdMD. “cbdMD has always believed that the future of this category is built on quality, transparency, and clear rules that separate them from bad actors. A federal framework that protects consumer access, promotes safety, and provides certainty to companies that provide certainty is what this industry and the people it serves deserve. We applaud the policymakers who are working to achieve this outcome.”

“We believe CbdMD is purpose-built for this next phase of the market,” added Kennedy. “Our focus remains on serving our customers with reliable and effective products, supporting responsible regulation and building long-term value for our shareholders as the category continues to evolve. Along the way, we will continue to evaluate the opportunities this evolving environment holds.”

For more information:
cbdMD
cbdmd.com/

Cannabis News

Applications For Missouri Marijuana Microbusiness Licenses Will Open Next Month

Published

19 hours ago

June 29, 2026

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“We have a lot of tutorials, and we also provide a step-by-step guide. Anyone could sit down and make the app. I don’t think it’s challenging.”

By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent

Application window win one of Missouri’s 77 micro-business marijuana licenses through a lottery selection it will be open from July 13 to 27.

The selection lottery is scheduled for Sept. 9, and the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation expects to issue licenses in December, according to a press release issued Monday.

Microbusinesses are marijuana facility licenses issued to entities and individuals designed to allow marginalized or underrepresented people to legally participate in the marijuana market.

Lesley Turek, the division’s capital manager, has been traveling the state this month to educate people about the application process.

“I really feel that microenterprise graduates are, first and foremost, a community of people who help each other,” he said. “They’re the ones who are driving this program forward, so I’m looking forward to meeting new people and sharing as much as I can about the program. It’s a great program.”

Much of what is being worked on is the new rules that went into effect at the end of May…In 2024 the proposed cannabis regulators will remove a large number of licences Because of unconstitutional property deals.

The new rules, he said, allow regulators to conduct extensive scrutiny before licensing, rather than after. Furthermore, they give a more in-depth explanation of what it means to “have and operate the majority” of the License, which is a requirement in the Constitution.

Regulators are mandated to communicate directly with majority owners and require applicants to complete a compliance course before applying and after receiving a license.

The microbusiness program was passed by voters in the 2022 constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana.

In Missouri, there are seven categories in which people can qualify for a micro-business license, ranging from lower income or living in an area considered poor, to past arrests or incarcerations related to marijuana offenses.

Applicants pay a $1,500 application fee if not selected. The Missouri Lottery will select 77 license applicants to open dispensaries or cultivation facilities. The goal is to fill the remaining gaps in the minimum 144 micro-business licenses mandated by the Constitution.

Turek believes the application is relatively simple and something people can complete on their own, unlike the much more complicated application for comprehensive licenses.

“We have a lot of tutorials, and we also offer a step-by-step guide,” he said. “Anyone can sit down and do the app. I don’t think it’s a challenge.”

The part that most people often don’t understand is everything that comes with owning a marijuana facility.

“It’s very expensive, it’s very regulated, and so it’s challenging,” he said. “I want to make sure people have a clear understanding beforehand so they can make a good decision whether they want to apply for this program.”

A big part of his presentation was that the majority of the licenses should be owned by and eligible people. They must have more than 50 percent of the authority to direct the decisions made with the license.

“It’s more than a percentage of ownership,” he said. “It’s really about being able to have that control over it.”

It also talks about the designated contact, and why in the new rule the regulators will require that the designated contact be the applicant or the eligible person with the majority of ownership.

The designated liaison role was conceived as a way to ensure clear communication between the state and licensees.

Instead, state regulators discovered it many named contacts have kept real applicants in the dark about business and licensing. Applicants are locked into agreements that limit their voting power and profits in the business.

That’s why the state now requires pre-application training, a three-video online course to ensure applicants understand “potentially predatory practices,” regulators said in response to public comments during the rulemaking process.

The press release It says those who need help with eligibility requirements or application forms can contact the facility’s application services (email protected).

Educational dissemination events for micro-enterprises

Personal forums:
June 22 – 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm – Kansas City

Webinars:
June 24 – from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m
June 29 – from 18:00 to 20:00

Registration is required for in-person and virtual sessions. Interested participants can register at Microenterprise education. Additional information on the microenterprise program is available here cannabis.mo.gov.

Those requiring assistance with eligibility requirements or application forms may contact Facilities Application Services at (email protected).

This story was first published by the Missouri Independent.

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Cannabis News

RAND estimates Indiana adult-use cannabis could yield $180M in annual revenue

Published

2 days ago

June 28, 2026

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Two new RAND reports commissioned by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation outline the policy options and financial commitments facing Indiana as the state debates whether to change its cannabis laws amid restrictions across the country.

Reports show that 44% of Indiana residents live within 50 miles of a licensed dispensary in a neighboring state, and 96% live within 100 miles, as three of Indiana’s four states have legalized adult-use cannabis. At the same time, intoxicating hemp products containing the same psychoactive compound as marijuana are available at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores throughout Indiana with limited oversight.

Cannabis use in Indiana has doubled in the past decade, with a significant increase among adults 26 and older. RAND estimates that 1.3 million Hoosiers used cannabis in 2024 and spent $1.8 billion on marijuana products that year. Indiana recorded more than 13,000 cannabis-related arrests in 2024, with more than 90% for possession and more than 75% for non-cannabis related charges. The state spends $10 million to $20 million annually on cannabis law enforcement.

Rather than recommending a specific policy, the RAND reports outline four broad options: maintaining prohibition, reducing criminal penalties for possession, legalizing medical cannabis, or legalizing the adult recreational use market. Legalizing adult-use cannabis would generate about $180 million in annual state revenue, roughly 1 percent of the state’s general fund, well below some previous projections and less than half of the $385 million in combined cigarette and alcohol tax revenue Indiana will collect in 2025, according to the Indiana Department of Revenue.

Legalization would also entail significant upfront costs, and ongoing regulatory costs could reach the low tens of millions of dollars annually, outweighing the savings from reduced criminal justice spending. RAND identifies 14 policy considerations important to establishing legal markets, each with its own public health and state economic implications.