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Hemp Removed From Controlled Substance List in Texas

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap]fter much deliberation, Texas has decided to omit hemp from its controlled substances list. The Dallas Morning News reported that the Texas Department of State Health will be taking hemp out from its list of Schedule I substances, a list of drugs that by definition have no medical significance and bears the possibility of being abused.

Lawmakers, local farmers along with Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller agree on the bill’s anticipated positive impact and believe that the decision would bring forth a “green gold rush” for the state in the near future. “You just watch, there is going to be more hemp grown than we could ever process,” said Miller.”We want the processing facilities to be right here in rural Texas and bring those jobs to rural Texas.”

Texans, especially the people involved with the farming community have supported this bill since its inception in 2018 and believed that passing it was only a matter of time. “We like hemp, it’s a crop that makes sense for Texas, it is an excellent drought tolerant crop,” said Gene Hall, a representative for the Texas Farm Bureau.

The advocates of hemp including Miller have mentioned CBD being one of the major bases for pushing to remove the plant from the controlled substance list. “Anything that can medically take away someone’s pain or relieve their tensions or whatever they’re taking it for, we should use it,” Miller said.

Hemp is recognized for its countless everyday usages that include beauty, cosmetic, toiletry as well as health and wellness products, among many other benefits. Since row-crops aren’t one of East Texas’s strong points, potential investors are looking to take advantage of hemp’s versatility as a business prospect.  “We make tens of dollars here so it’s important that we can find other avenues to make income for ourselves,” said Bryan Pruett of Appleby Community Farms.

Miller is also advocating for minimum federal interference in regards to the production of hemp and has clearly stated that “We won’t put any extra burden on the farmers or the processors, we don’t want any extra regulation, we’re not for that,” although the plants may need to undergo vigorous testing due to its tendency to cross-pollinate with cannabis.

 

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