According to Hemp Industry Daily, Travis County Judge Lora Livingston granted a temporary restraining order to a group of hemp producers, temporarily blocking Texas state health officials from enforcing a ban on smokable hemp.
This strikes a victory blow in what is sure to be a lengthy battle for the hemp industry. Texas was thrust into the industry spotlight when a proposal to ban smokable hemp products caused waves on the internet. All of a sudden, industry professionals felt like they were right back at square one.
Not only did this proposal hit the table when growers had already been approved for licenses in the lone star state, but it was approved while in the middle of the growing season. The unbelievable chain of events left growers with smokable hemp crops scrambling to find either processors for extraction or buyers for their flower out of state.
Not very often are small companies on the same page as their larger competition, but this unlawful ban has brought the industry together much in the same way when the world united after PETA went after Steve Erwin’s memory.
While the restraining order is only temporary, it gives the industry much needed time to get a battle plan hashed out and in place. Though the punches may be delivered slowly, this is a historical case that has the potential to impact other states, such as Illinois or Louisiana, where smokable hemp is banned for no other reason that the product resembles its THC rich cousin, mary jane.