Marijuana industry

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.

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.

Texas' governor issued an executive order Wednesday mandating age restrictions on consumable hemp products containing THC. This comes after Abbott's veto earlier this year of legislation that would have banned the products outright.

Texas lawmakers ended their second special session without regulating or banning hemp.

Senate Bill 3, which was championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, could have cost tens of thousands of people their jobs. Abbott said he would call a special session to debate the legislation further.

It's an unusual situation for the lieutenant governor, long viewed by GOP activists as a stalwart conservative responsible for driving the Legislature rightward.

The House granted its final approval to the amended version of Senate Bill 3 Thursday evening. It now goes back to the Senate, where Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has indicated it is sure to pass, then on to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.