Texas: The second special session has begun, and the updated hemp THC ban is now SB 6. The bill has passed the Senate and is currently in the Texas House. It will be heard in the Public Health Committee.
We applaud the Texas Senate for quickly passing SB 6 and now urge the House to follow suit.
North Carolina: HB 328, a bill intended to ban certain types of intoxicating hemp while permitting others, was not approved in this year's session. We thank the state legislatures for prioritizing public safety as we continue to advocate for a complete ban on these harmful products.
Dr. Kevin Sabet, President and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), stated the following in an opinion piece for The Carolina Journal: “The bill’s being sold as an advance for public safety that also recognizes commercial reality. But it would, in effect, legalize marijuana through the backdoor after repeated rejections by the state through the front. The bill is a Trojan Horse: It proposes to ban some intoxicating hemp products fully, while legalizing recreational marijuana so long as it is derived from hemp and sold to people over 21— and away from schools. In other words, a complete surrender to the addiction industry that drives the THC trade.”
Georgia: A new report in Georgia highlights the increase in marijuana-related poison control calls involving young children: Georgia Poison Center warns of rising cases of children ingesting marijuana edibles.
This comes after SAM’s Iman Lohrasbi testified before a Georgia intoxicating hemp panel to advocate for a complete ban on these products.
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania lawmakers did not incorporate marijuana legalization into the 2025 state budget. SAM commends them for resisting such legislation, believing it would harm public safety and yield minimal extra tax revenue.
