Governor Greg Abbott Prepares Executive Order on Hemp-Based THC in Texas

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas is on the verge of releasing an executive order to enforce tougher rules on THC products derived from hemp, such as delta-8 and delta-9 variants, amid rising worries about minors’ access and overall product reliability. This step follows the Texas Legislature’s inability to approve pertinent legislation in special sessions held earlier this year, even with Abbott’s persistent advocacy for reforms.

The forthcoming order, targeted toward the Texas Department of State Health Services, is anticipated to feature these key measures:

• An age threshold of 21 for buying hemp THC items or accessing stores that offer them.

• Compulsory identification checks for every transaction.

• Proximity limits barring sellers from locating close to educational institutions.

• Mandates for precise and transparent labeling on products.

• Obligatory lab testing to confirm THC levels.

• Elevated licensing or operational fees for retailers handling these goods.

Since the 2018 federal Farm Bill permitted hemp cultivation, Texas’s hemp market has expanded rapidly, fostering a minimally supervised environment for delta-8 and delta-9 THC offerings. These items, commonly available in edibles, vaporizers, and similar formats, have prompted alarms from legislators and health experts regarding their ease of obtainment by youth and variable quality controls.

Abbott’s directive seeks to mitigate these problems without enacting a complete prohibition, which certain state officials had proposed in recent debates. It intends to introduce enhanced supervision to a sector lingering in regulatory ambiguity, weighing public availability against health safeguards