Texas hemp retailers are racing to clear shelves and rethink their businesses ahead of a July 31 state rule change that will classify products containing delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, THCP and other intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids as Schedule I controlled substances.
Impact on Local Businesses
The change effectively removes these products from the state’s legal hemp market. For Kyle Struebing, the change means roughly $100,000 worth of inventory could become unsellable within days.
Struebing said he’s equally concerned about customers who have come to rely on products sold through the legal hemp market. “We’re talking about, you know, people who couldn’t sleep before and now they’re able to sleep,” he said, “it’s gonna be devastating.”
Industry Response
The hemp industry has argued licensed sellers know how to distribute products responsibly. The Texas Hemp Business Council responded to the change, saying it risks driving consumers toward unregulated markets while harming Texas businesses.
Rather than continue relying on THC sales, Struebing said he’s shifting toward wellness services. “We decided to go full-on wellness,” he said. “We started and got our very first float tank, which is a sensory deprivation float chamber, and then we added sauna, cold plunge, and all these other things to really just help people with those big three: pain, inflammation, anxiety.”
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
