A popular Texas cannabis product appears to be disappearing from brick-and-mortar and digital store shelves.
Cannabis companies that have been legally selling products with 0.3% or less delta-9 THC (which is considered hemp in the Lone Star State) appear to be shying away from THCa, which converts to THC when heated.
Austin, Texas-based cannabis company Hometown Hero is one of several brands that appear to be distancing themselves from THCa, a product they once sold.
Asked by LoneStarLive.com if they had removed THCa products and if this was due to the recent raid on a smoking supplies store in Allen, Texas, Hometown Hero’s Chief Strategy Officer, Cynthia Cabrera, released the following statement:
“While we have previously offered limited THCa flower options, we have decided to refocus our resources on our core products, including confectionery products such as gummies, chocolates and baked goods, as well as disposable vapes.
“Furthermore, even though THCA-infused flower and concentrates are legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, certain ambiguities and potential legal risks regarding testing for THCA, particularly these non-psychoactive cannabinoids, have remained a cause for caution within the industry and created confusion for law enforcement in Texas.”
The move also comes at a time when states such as California are moving to ban “intoxicating” hemp-derived cannabinoids, such as delta-9 edibles.
Hometown Hero acknowledged that it does not sell its products in California, but Cabrera said Governor Newsom’s emergency regulations have effectively resulted in a near-total ban of hemp-derived cannabinoids in the state.
“These regulations deny adult consumers and veterans access to safe, regulated products. Instead, they fuel demand for an unregulated, illicit market that history has proven to be ineffective and harmful. Without proper safety standards and government oversight, this approach risks causing far more harm than benefit to the people of California.”
Current Status of Texas’ Consumer Marijuana Program
The legality of hemp-derived cannabis products in Texas is currently under review. The ongoing legal battle between Hometown Hero and the Texas Department of State Health Services, which paved the way for the sale of consumable hemp products like Delta 8, is currently before the Texas Supreme Court.
The state filed briefs with the court on the merits of the case on Wednesday, August 21st.
The delay gives Hometown Hero until Thursday, Oct. 10, to file a brief outlining the merits of the lawsuit.
