Smokeable THC banned statewide at the end of this month
Posted/updated on: March 17, 2026 at 9:17 pm
TYLER, Texas (KETK)– All smokable THC products must be removed from Texas dispensaries by March 31, upsetting business owners in East Texas.
A year ago, the debate started in the 89th legislature to ban or regulate THC products in Texas. In the end, state lawmakers could not agree. Ultimately, leading Governor Abbott to issue an executive order banning all THC products.
This order requires the 9,100 hemp retailers in the state, like Green Nation in Tyler to change the way they do business.
“What the law did is essentially that any THC products are now part of the total D-9 calculation. So, the State Health Department is essentially changing the way that hemp is defined by Texas and federal law,” Green Nation Owner, Austin Hubbard, says.
The new requirements on THC levels would eliminate the use of the hemp flower–and could limit 80% of the product for the industry and state lawmakers are hopeful that the new stricter rules will lead to lower health risks for the public.
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The Texas Department of State Health Services has also proposed raising licensing fees. Retailers, like Green Nation, could see fees spike from $150 to $20,000, and manufacturers could experience fees of $250 to $25,000. Hubbard is worried ‘a lot of these stores won’t be able to afford that.’
Hubbard is working to find a way to keep his business afloat by filing a temporary restraining order against the ruling until 2027.
People say that this is the only thing that deals with my post-chemo pain. So, I mean, it’s that’s really taken away from the people that need it the most,” Hubbard says, staying customer-driven through the legal battle.
In a statement to KETK News, the Texas Department of State Health Services addressed their new rules: DSHS promulgated rules in accordance with the statutes and the governor’s executive order. To set these fees, DSHS made estimates of the costs necessary to support regular inspection of manufacturers and retailers, including inspector salaries and travel, laboratory testing costs, related legal and State Office of Administrative Hearing costs for resulting compliance actions, and assistance from the TABC and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) per Executive Order GA-56.
