New federal law seeks to put limits on delta-8 THC, ending Texas’ legal battle to ban the product

A federal bill proposing limits on the amount of THC allowable in delta-8 products could end up overriding Texas’ contentious legal battle to ban the hemp product, the Dallas Observer reports.

Introduced by the U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, the federal proposal would put a low-percentage cap on all hemp products, not just delta-9 THC, the compound found in marijuana that gets people high.

“I am introducing the Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 to eliminate unworkable testing requirements, set reasonable THC thresholds for producers and processors while protecting consumers, and end the discriminatory policy that bans people with drug convictions from growing legal hemp,” Pingree said in a press release quoted by the Observer.

Under state and federal law, hemp is legal to grow and sell as long as it contains less than 0.3% delta-9 THC. But neither Texas nor the feds set limits on other kinds of THC, opening the door for producers to market flower, oils and other items with enough delta-8 and delta-10 to get consumers high.

Some Texas hemp companies aren’t exactly happy about Pingree’s proposal, arguing that the new limits are impossible to meet without harvesting plants prematurely, according to the Observer.

“The Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 will destroy the hemp market,” the Texas Hemp Growers industry group said in a Facebook post raising concerns about the bill.

Sounds like the battle over the Hemp Advancement Act is likely to be no less contentious than Texas’ legal battle. Stay tuned.

Stay on top of cannabis news and views. Sign up for our Weed Wire Newsletter.