[PRESS RELEASE] – AUSTIN, Texas, April 4, 2025 – Loads of native companies, farmers and business advocates will acquire on the Texas Capitol on April 7 to testify towards Senate Invoice 3 and Space Invoice 28, sending a transparent message that this regulation would devastate the state’s thriving hemp business.
The Texas Hemp Trade Council (THBC) is looking on state legislators within the Texas Space of Representatives to reject S.B. 3 and H.B. 28 right through Monday’s public listening to, being held via the Texas Space Committee on State Affairs.
“We’re urging the Texas Space to scrupulously believe the results of S.B. 3 and H.B. 28 at the tens of 1000’s of small companies, farmers and customers who depend at the hemp business,” mentioned Cynthia Cabrera, president of the Texas Hemp Trade Council and leader technique officer at Place of origin Hero. “Texas has constructed a thriving hemp marketplace that gives jobs, tax income and get admission to to protected, felony merchandise for accountable adults. Restrictive measures chance stifling innovation, using companies out of state, and restricting shopper selection. We stand able to paintings with lawmakers to verify commonsense law that balances public protection with financial alternative. The way forward for Texas hemp is at stake; let’s get it proper.”
S.B. 3 Threatens Jobs, Small Companies and Shopper Selection
A newly launched financial file, Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids within the Lone Famous person State: A Revisit of the Financial Have an effect on Research of Cannabinoid Retail in Texas,* unearths that the hemp business is a significant contributor to the Texas economic system, producing $5.5 billion in annual gross sales with an estimated tax income of $268 million. Evolved via Whitney Economics, the file additionally discovered that proposed state laws, together with Texas S.B. 3, which seeks to prohibit all hemp-derived THC merchandise, may value the business $7.5 billion and 40,201 jobs, in keeping with the newest knowledge.
Different findings come with:
- Retail Enlargement: In 2025, retail income reached $4.3 billion, up from $3.3 billion in 2023, highlighting sustained shopper call for.
- Business Enlargement: General employment within the hemp business grew to 53,300 jobs in 2025, an build up of three,200 from 50,100 in 2023.
- Upper Pay: Business-wide wages rose to $2.1 billion in 2025, up from $1.6 billion in 2023, with hourly pay expanding throughout all sectors.
Texans Overwhelmingly Beef up Regulated Hemp, Now not a Ban
A contemporary survey via Baselice & Friends Inc.** discovered that 68% of most probably Texas citizens improve conserving hemp-derived consumable THC felony, supplied it’s regulated with measures like age restrictions and caution labels. By contrast, simplest 20% desire an outright ban. Different findings come with:
- Beef up for legalization is most powerful amongst more youthful citizens, with 76% of the ones elderly 18-34 in desire, in comparison to 55% of senior electorate.
- Republican citizens desire law over prohibition via a two-to-one margin (57% vs. 29%), whilst Democrats overwhelmingly improve conserving THC felony (80% vs. 10%).
- Independents align carefully with the statewide reasonable (72% vs. 17%).
A Name for Not unusual-Sense Law, Now not Prohibition
Texas regulation (H.B. 1325 handed in 2019) already supplies crucial hemp oversight, together with complete checking out, licensing, labeling necessities and certificate of study. Construction in this basis, THBC helps further measures to additional support protection and business requirements, together with:
- Restricting gross sales to people 21 and older (except for for veterans).
- Kid-resistant packaging for shopper protection.
- Retail setbacks from faculties for adult-use merchandise.
“Hemp companies throughout Texas are status in combination as a result of this isn’t with regards to one business; it’s about livelihoods, shopper rights and the way forward for entrepreneurship in our state,” Cabrera mentioned. “Texas merits higher than a ban. Likewise, we strongly oppose H.B. 28, which might additional hurt small companies and prohibit shopper selection. We name on legislators to face with Texans, no longer towards them, and vote no on each S.B. 3 and H.B. 28.”
The right way to Testify
Texas citizens who want to electronically publish feedback on S.B. 3 and H.B. 28 with out attesting in individual can achieve this after the general public listening to is adjourned via visiting: https://feedback.space.texas.gov/house?c=c450.
For the ones individuals who want to testify in individual, knowledge on witness registration may also be discovered right here: https://mytxlegis.capitol.texas.gov/HWRSPublic/About.aspx.
* Carried out over six weeks in early 2025, the survey via Whitney Economics reached over 4,500 companies, representing about 53% of Texas’ estimated 8,500 hemp-related companies.
** The survey, carried out via Baselice & Friends, Inc. from March 10-12, 2025, incorporated 600 most probably citizens and had a margin of error of ±4.0%.
