Texas court to review smokable hemp ban on Monday

A Texas judge is scheduled to hear arguments Monday on blocking a ban on smokable hemp.

Travis County Judge Lora Livingston last month granted a temporary restraining order to a group of hemp producers challenging a rule enacted by state health authorities that blocks the manufacture and sale of smokable hemp products.

The restraining order has prevented the Texas Department of State Health Services from enforcing its ban on the manufacture, processing, distribution, or retail sale of consumable hemp products for smoking, which took effect Aug. 2.

The judge will now decide on a temporary injunction that would extend that ban until the case is resolved.

The Texas dispute is the first attempt to challenge a smokable hemp ban through state courts, rather than the federal judiciary.

A lawsuit challenging a similar ban in Indiana is pending in that state’s federal system.

To learn more about the smokable hemp market, download our free report on the sector here.