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HPPR Government & Politics

Hundreds Of Texas Marijuana Charges Dropped After Hemp Legalization

High Plains Public Radio

Published July 8, 2019 at 9:00 PM CDT

Earlier this year, Texas passed a law legalizing hemp and hemp-derived products like CBD oil. The law changed the state’s legal definition of marijuana.

Now, as The Texas Tribune reports, prosecutors and crime labs are complaining that they don't have the resources to test whether a substance is marijuana or legal hemp. As a result, prosecutors across Texas have dropped hundreds of low-level marijuana charges. These attorneys say they won’t pursue new pot charges without further testing.

Most crime labs in Texas simply do not have the resources to test the THC levels of specific products or confiscated substances. Under the new law, a substance must contain more than 0.3% THC to be distinguished as illegal marijuana.