Stop Trying to Regulate the Hemp Industry. Start Letting It Regulate Itself.
- Chasity Wedgeworth
- Jul 8
- 4 min read
During a recent Texas Senate hearing, Senator Charles Perry made a statement that stopped me in my tracks.
He said the state doesn't have the money to regulate the Texas hemp industry.
And my immediate reaction was:
Exactly. So stop trying to.
I've been saying this for months, and I think people are finally starting to understand what CRAFT has been trying to build.
We're not teaching businesses how to surrender to government regulation.
We're teaching an industry how to become so professional, so organized, and so accountable that the argument for excessive regulation begins to disappear.
That's a completely different conversation.
As lawmakers continue debating hemp regulation in Texas, the conversation shouldn't be limited to what government can enforce. It should also focus on what responsible businesses can build together through professional standards, workforce training, documented procedures, and accountability.
The Real Problem Isn't Hemp
If you've watched any legislative hearing over the last few years, you've heard the same concerns repeated over and over.
"What about children?"
"What about untested products?"
"What about mislabeled products?"
"What about bad actors?"
"What about fake IDs?"
"What about consumer safety?"
Those concerns become the justification for new regulations.
Whether those concerns are being raised because legislators genuinely believe they're protecting consumers, because of pressure from competing industries, or because of a combination of factors doesn't actually change our next move.
Because in chess, you don't win by arguing about why your opponent made a move.
You win by taking away their best move.
Every Mistake Becomes Exhibit A
Here's the part people still aren't getting.
When one retailer sells to a minor...
When one employee doesn't check an ID...
When one manufacturer skips testing...
When one distributor ignores documentation...
When one business sells a mislabeled product...
Legislators don't point to that one business and say, "They made a mistake."
They point to the entire industry.
That one mistake becomes Exhibit A in the next committee hearing.
It becomes another reason to argue for tighter restrictions, increased oversight, and more government involvement.
Bad actors don't just hurt themselves.
They give everyone else a bigger hill to climb.
We Can Remove Their Strongest Argument
Now imagine something different.
Imagine every hemp employee in Texas receives standardized workforce training.
Imagine every retailer verifies IDs the same way.
Imagine every product is backed by a verified Certificate of Analysis (COA).
Imagine documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in every store.
Imagine businesses maintaining chain-of-custody records, complaint logs, recall procedures, employee training records, and intake documentation.
Imagine consumers walking into hemp stores and finding the same level of professionalism they expect in any mature industry.
Now ask yourself:
What happens to the argument that this industry can't regulate itself?
It starts falling apart.
Because suddenly, the industry isn't asking lawmakers to simply "trust us."
We're showing them.
We're documenting it.
We're proving it.
Self-Regulation Is a Smarter Strategy
Some people hear the word "compliance" and assume we're asking businesses to comply with government.
That's never been the mission.
Government regulation is imposed.
Industry standards are chosen.
There's a difference.
One says, "You have to."
The other says, "This is who we choose to be."
Every successful industry has standards.
Healthcare has standards.
Food manufacturing has standards.
Construction has standards.
Hospitality has standards.
Those industries didn't become trusted because government watched every move they made.
They became trusted because they built systems that demonstrated professionalism, accountability, and consistency.
That's exactly what the hemp industry needs.
This Is About Playing Chess, Not Checkers
I've spent a lot of time thinking about the strategy behind all of this.
Whether you believe legislative attacks are motivated by consumer safety concerns, economic competition, or something else entirely, our response should be the same.
We remove the legitimate concerns.
If the argument is underage access...
We make 100% ID verification the standard.
If the argument is product safety...
We verify every COA before products ever reach the shelf.
If the argument is inaccurate labels...
We implement documented label verification procedures.
If the argument is employee mistakes...
We train every employee.
If the argument is bad actors...
We build documented operational standards that distinguish responsible businesses from those who refuse to do things the right way.
That's not giving in.
That's taking away the very ammunition used against us.
Imagine This Conversation
Imagine the Texas Hemp Business Council walking into the Capitol and saying:
"We represent thousands of licensed hemp businesses."
"The overwhelming majority have trained every employee."
"They follow documented Standard Operating Procedures."
"They verify IDs."
"They maintain testing records."
"They educate consumers."
"They document everything."
"And we can prove it."
Now who's controlling the conversation?
Now lawmakers aren't looking at an industry asking to be left alone.
They're looking at an industry that has already accepted responsibility.
That's a much stronger negotiating position.
CRAFT Was Built for This Moment
This is why CRAFT exists.
Not to replace advocacy.
Not to replace trade associations.
Not to replace businesses.
To provide the framework that helps the industry organize itself.
Training.
Documentation.
Standard Operating Procedures.
Chain of custody.
Continuing education.
Professional standards.
Everything we've built has been centered around one idea:
The strongest defense against unnecessary regulation is a responsible industry.
Not because we're trying to satisfy the government.
Because professionalism protects businesses.
Consumer safety builds trust.
Documentation protects livelihoods.
And a united industry has something we've never truly had before:
Credibility.
The Plan Already Exists
We don't need to reinvent this industry.
We need to mature it.
The tools exist.
The training exists.
The standards exist.
The framework exists.
The only question left is whether we're willing to use them.
Because if the state says it doesn't have the resources to regulate thousands of hemp businesses...
Maybe the answer isn't hiring more regulators.
Maybe the answer is building an industry that doesn't need to be micromanaged in the first place.
That's not surrender.
That's leadership.
That's strategy.
And that's how we change the conversation—not just in Texas, but across the country.
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