When Texas legalized hemp last year, it threw the state’s marijuana policing into some kind of chaos. All of a sudden, officers were largely left without proper testing technology to determine if suspects’ leafy greens possessed a THC percentage above the legal cutoff of 0.3 percent. As a result, law enforcement authorities across the state began to throw up their hands and throw out low-level possession cases.

It was only five years ago that Governor Greg Abbott was firmly against legalizing marijuana in Texas, even for medicinal purposes. However, a change of heart appears to have come over the governor and the Republican majority, signaling that an end to a key fight in the War on Drugs may be nigh.

It’s been more than six months since Texas lawmakers legalized hemp and unintentionally disrupted marijuana prosecution across the state.

Since then, the number of low-level pot cases filed by prosecutors has plummeted. Some law enforcement agencies that still pursue charges are spending significantly more money at private labs to ensure that substances they suspect are illegal marijuana aren't actually hemp.

The Texas Hemp Program outline has been sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for approval.

Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Commissioner Sid Miller said he anticipates the USDA will approve the plan quickly, a necessary step before TDA can start granting licences. The USDA has 60 days to approve state plans after they are submitted.

“We will have a Texas hemp licensing program by early next year,” said Commissioner Miller.

The Texas Hemp Program outline has been sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for approval.

Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) Commissioner Sid Miller said he anticipates the USDA will approve the plan quickly, a necessary step before TDA can start granting licences. The USDA has 60 days to approve state plans after they are submitted.

“We will have a Texas hemp licensing program by early next year,” said Commissioner Miller.

It looks as though many hemp farmers in the USA have been facing an uphill battle in protecting their crops from pests – the two-legged kind.

It wasn’t that long ago news of hemp theft wasn’t all that common, but with so many states now permitting cultivating the crop and harvest season in play, incidents are being reported daily.

Among the instances of plants being stolen reported across the country over the last few weeks:

For cannabis enthusiasts living in adult use states, long gone are the days of sneaking around with a dime bag in a coat pocket and worrying about whether the neighbors know you’ve got weed. But the sad truth is that, for millions of Americans living in prohibition or restrictive medical-only states, accessing safe and regulated cannabis is still a problem, writes Danielle Simone Brand. 

Medical cannabis entrepreneurs are looking for answers after the Texas Department of Public Safety unexpectedly shut down its application process for new dispensary permits on Wednesday. The window was originally intended to last through November 1.