Category: Hemp Licenses Texas

How to Open a Dispensary in Texas

Although recreational marijuana has not yet been legalized in Texas, Texas currently has a limited medical marijuana program established by the Texas Compassionate Use Act in 2015. The Texas Department of Safety (“DPS”) administers the Compassionate Use Program (“CUP”), including all licensing processes for dispensing organizations. In early 2023, DPS opened the full application process for dispensing organization licenses for the first time since licenses were initially awarded in 2017. The application window closed on April 28, 2023. Currently, only three dispensing organizations have been granted licenses by DPS to cultivate, process, and dispense low-THC cannabis to qualifying patients in Texas: Compassionate Cultivation, Fluent, and Surterra Texas. An announcement on the award of new licenses has not yet been made, and DPS has not confirmed how many licenses it expects to award. Pursuant to the Compassionate Use Act, DPS may only issue the number of licenses necessary to ensure reasonable statewide access to and availability of low-THC cannabis for patients registered in the compassionate-use registry.

Texas is a vertically integrated state, meaning that all dispensing organizations must cultivate, process, package, and dispense the medical marijuana from a single location. Currently, only low-THC cannabis is approved for dispensation under CUP, currently limited to 1% THC by dry weight. The program also has restrictions regarding qualifying conditions and does not include certain conditions, such as chronic pain. Applicants must also follow all other administrative and statutory rules of the Texas Administrative Code (“TAC”) Chapter 12, and Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 487.

All applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee of $7,356.00 dollars. If approved, licensed dispensing organizations must pay a new licensing fee of $488,520.00 for a two (2) year period. A biennial renewal license costs $318,511.00. Dispensing organizations must also pay fees per employee to register them with DPS. Entry costs for Texas are very high compared to other states.

DSHS Moves to Ban White Labeling of Smokable Hemp Products in Texas

On June 24, 2022, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Health and Safety Code, Section 443.204 (4), which prohibits the processing and manufacturing of consumable hemp products for smoking in Texas. However, the Court upheld our challenge to the state’s retail and distribution rule, meaning that the retail sale and distribution of consumable hemp products for smoking remains legal in the state. Read on to learn more about the latest update on Texas’ Consumable Hemp Program from the Texas Department of State Health Services (“DSHS”) and how it will impact the Texas hemp industry.

Starting a Side Hustle as a Sole Proprietorship in Texas

A sole proprietorship is an entrepreneur’s simplest business structure in Texas. While there are benefits to consider in the strengthened protection of a limited liability company or a corporation, people starting “side-hustles” often begin with a sole proprietorship. This simple method allows the new business owner to dip their feet into the pool. Some–through inertia or strategy–may simply continue the structure as the business grows. 

The sole proprietorship initiation process lacks the layers of legal requirements standard in other business structures, but it does involve several steps that business owners should follow. A local law firm, like Ritter Spencer Cheng, can help new entrepreneurs successfully start a sole proprietorship in Texas. Read below to learn how to take the first step in your sole proprietorship. 

Are Hybrid Marijuana Strains Legal?

As hybrid marijuana strains become more prevalent throughout the cannabis community, it’s important to discuss the anatomy, use, and legality of the most common strains. Though many are familiar with the two marijuana strains, Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica, it’s crucial to recognize the role of hybrids as well. Read below for a full assessment of the structure and legal status of hybrid marijuana strains in the cannabis industry.

Conditional Adult Use Licenses and Dispensaries: Everything You Need to Know

As the cannabis business expands across the nation, many states have set unique regulations concerning dispensaries, licenses, production, and manufacturing. The concept of conditional adult-use dispensaries has garnered the attention of those in the marijuana community, specifically after the Cannabis Control Board of New York drafted the application process for conditional adult-use retail license applications. 

Traditional retail licenses can be confusing for those interested in pursuing marijuana entrepreneurship, let alone conditional adult-use dispensaries and permits. At Ritter Spencer Cheng, we recognize the importance of being familiar with emerging trends within the marijuana industry. Read below to learn more about conditional use dispensaries.

DSHS Final Rules

The Texas Department of State Health Services (“DSHS”) adopted and published its final rules governing the Texas consumable hemp program (the “DSHS Final Rules”) to the Texas Register. The DSHS Final Rules become effective on August 2, 2020. Any potential changes to the statute governing our hemp program will not occur until the Texas Legislature reconvenes in January of 2021.  

To the detriment of many in the Texas hemp industry, the DSHS Final Rules only slightly diverge from the DSHS Proposed Rules. Our prior blog series on the DSHS Proposed Rules provided an in-depth analysis of the proposed DSHS rules. This blog focuses on the changes made by DSHS in the adopted Final Rules. 

DSHS Proposed Rules Part II

If you joined us for Parts I through III of this Series, you will know that the Texas Department of State Health Services (“DSHS”) published its proposed rules to govern the Texas consumable hemp program (the “DSHS Proposed Rules”) in the Texas Register on May 8, 2020. The DSHS Proposed Rules are open for public comment for 31 days, meaning the public comment period closes on June 7, 2020. To provide comment on any of the draft rules, you can submit your comments directly to DSHS via email to DSHSHempProgram@dshs.texas.gov. When emailing comments, you will need to indicate “Comments on Proposed Rule 19R074 Hemp Program” in the subject line. Written comments may also be submitted to Rod Moline, Ph.D., R.S., Section Director, Mail Code 1987, Texas Department of State Health Services, P.O. Box 149347, Austin, Texas 78714-9347. 

DSHS Proposed Rules

On June 10, 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 1325, legislation pertaining to hemp growth and consumable hemp products, into law in the state of Texas. To conform with Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 443, as amended by HB 1325, Texas Department of State Health Services (“DSHS”) has published its proposed rules to govern the Texas consumable hemp program (the “DSHS Proposed Rules”) in the Texas Register. Under the DSHS Proposed Rules, a “consumable hemp product” is defined as 

Hemp Lawyer Chelsie Spencer Interviewed by Texas Cannabis Collective

Texas hemp lawyer Chelsie Spencer was recently interviewed by the Texas Cannabis Collective for its article “What You Need to Know about Hemp Legalization in Texas.” Texas Cannabis Collective is a Texas-based informational and educational media organization focusing on cannabis news in Texas and across the United States. In April of this year, Chelsie was interviewed on Texas’ hemp growth bill, HB 1325, prior to its passage by Texas Cannabis Collective. In the recent interview, Chelsie discusses the impact that HB 1325 will have here in Texas and practical problems she anticipates that may arise as the hemp-growth program begins implementation.