Perhaps one of the biggest hypes throughout the state of Texas currently is the legalization of hemp and CBD products in Texas. Does that mean CBD is legal in Texas? What about its products – CBD oils, lotions, and more?
Generally defined, the oil itself is extracted from the marijuana plant. Under the new Texas law passed this year, substances derived from the cannabis plant are legal to possess if they are under 0.3% of THC by dry weight. THC is short for tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of the plant.
CBD oils are now legal to possess in Texas, but you can still be prosecuted if the oil you have on you has any amount of THC in it. The difficult part for prosecution is that there is only one lab in Texas able to test with such accuracy.
Recently, however, Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1325 into law. The law, which went into effect immediately upon the governor’s signature, legalizes the farming of hemp, as well as the possession and sale of hemp-derived CBD oil that contains less than 0.3% of THC.
Despite the new law, the confusion over CBD oil and other related products still continues. Field tests that local police use to help them identify multiple types of illegal drugs have are not designed to decipher THC percentage. Unfortunately, this means that those who use CBD can still end up getting detained by police until the products in their possession undergo further amounts of testing, though many cases have been dismissed because of the lack of testing labs.
Additionally, representatives with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport have stated that they are continuing to speak with state prosecutors in regards to updates on procedures at their facility due to the signing and implementation of House Bill 1325. Furthermore, airport police are also expected to work with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who have been known to regularly stop individuals who travel with CBD oil prior to contacting airport police in order to officially make an arrest.
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