With the elections behind us, we’re shifting from providing you context from the campaign trail to context from the Texas State Capitol as the Texas legislature gets to work. Keep up with Capitol Context this legislative session as we examine bills being debated, the messages we’re hearing from elected leaders and how their votes impact us all.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A federal ruling out of Arkansas this week could loom large over the Texas capitol when lawmakers return in late July.Senate Bill 3 is expected to take center stage during Texas’s special session. If passed, the law would outlaw hemp products containing THC, the psychoactive compound found in cannabis.Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the bill urging lawmakers to consider regulating THC products instead of banning them -- much to the displeasure of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick.
In an official statement explaining his position, Abbott cited a 2023 Arkansas bill that ended up stuck in litigation for more than two years saying, "that result must be avoided in Texas.”
Less than a week after Abbott made that proclamation, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Arkansas, clearing the way for the state ban to take effect.
The lawsuit in Arkansas was based on a claim that the legislation violated federal law, specifically the 2018 Farm Bill, which allows hemp products that contain less than .03% of THC.
But in this week's ruling, the federal appeals panel said the Arkansas bill does not interfere with federal law. The panel ruled that under the Farm Bill, individual states can regulate and even ban THC products as long as states do not interfere with interstate commerce of products that are allowable under federal law.
We’ll being watching to see how this ruling plays out as Texas lawmakers reconvene for a special session on July 21.
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