As Texas lawmakers debate whether to regulate or ban THC product
s, officials with the state’s crime labs say they don’t have the resources currently to enforce whatever law is passed.
“From a crime lab perspective, mercifully, we don’t have a dog in that fight. I really don’t care. Just tell me what I need
to test, and then I need resources to be able to provide that result,” Peter Stout, president and chief executive officer
for the Houston Forensic Science Center, told The Texas Tribune after he testified before the House Public Health Commi
ttee on Wednesday. “Otherwise, I become the reason the wheel falls off this wagon, which has basically been the last six years now.”
Wednesday’s committee hearing centered on House Bill 5, which would create a blanket ban on products contai
ning any “detectable amount of any cannabinoid” other than cannabidiol and cannabigerol, better known as CBD and CBG
, non-intoxicating components of cannabis. This bill would eliminate the majority of hemp products, including those that are legal under the federal definition.
“There’s been countless reports of artificial and synthetic cannabinoids and their effects on the consumer, and th
ese products have become readily available,” said Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, the committee’s chair and
HB 5’s author. “Some of these products are marketed in a way that is attractive to children, for example common food products, like candy.”
Watch More Image Part 2 >>>
The Senate’s version of the bill also calls for a ban, but since Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year vetoed similar legislation that would have banned THC, some law
makers have signaled they’d support more regulations over a ban.
Kim Carmichael, spokesperson for House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, told The Texas Tribune that the House hasn’t committed to a ban.
“HB 5 was filed as a similar bill to what the House passed in the regular session, because that’s the most logical starting point for negotiations,” Carmichael said. “Si
nce it passed in that form, members believed they should resume debate where it ended up. It would still go through the proc
ess of a public hearing and floor debate, so where it ends up is unknown at this time.”
Experts invited by lawmakers on Wednesday to talk about THC largely focused on the health dangers of THC, the poss
ible criminal networks that underlie the industry, and the impossible task of enforcement.