marijuana

Following negotiations to reopen the federal government during the shutdown in November, the U.S. Senate surprised the hemp industry when it included language in a 2026 Agriculture appropriations act that effectively bans all intoxicating hemp products within one year of President Donald Trump signing the bill on Nov. 12.

The KBI and local law enforcement executed raids late last year on smoke and vape shops in Concordia, Montgomery, Abilene, McPherson, Pratt, Salina, Topeka and Wichita.

Attorneys for hemp businesses say the raids have hurt their revenue and reputation, while police said they’re necessary to root out products with illegal levels of THC.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has issued provisional licenses to nine new medical marijuana operators while existing ones have started opening new manufacturing and cultivating facilities.

Hemp advocates say raising annual licensing fees for retailers from $150 to $20,000 and for manufacturers from $250 to $25,000 would shutter small businesses.

Texas' highest civil court is set to hear and rule on cases dealing with several hot-button issues, including hemp, gender-affirming care and the state's ban on abortions after detection of cardiac activity.

The Department of State Health Services is considering new rules for the Texas hemp industry that would require child-resistant packaging, stronger warning labels, sharply higher fees and effectively ban smokeable flower and extracts.

Kansas hemp growers and processors say the new, stricter federal law could derail the entire industry. The state has grown to one of the top five hemp producing states in the country.

The executive director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation recently told state lawmakers that they should outlaw drinks infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

Marijuana remains completely illegal in Kansas. On Wednesday, KBI and local law enforcement raided smoke and vape shops in Concordia, McPherson, Pratt, Salina, Topeka and Wichita accused of illegal retail drug sales.