Texas Hemp Rules Are Here — Now What?

CRAFT Strategies, LLC
Mar 31
2 min read

Updated: Apr 2

As of March 31, 2026, the Texas Department of State Health Services has officially implemented sweeping changes to hemp regulations. These rules are not minor updates—they fundamentally change how retailers and distributors must operate.

If you are in this industry, this is your moment to pay attention.

The Biggest Shift: Total THC

The most critical change is how THC is calculated.

Texas now requires Total Delta-9 THC, not just Delta-9 alone. That means THCA is now part of the equation:

Total THC = (THCA × 0.877) + Delta-9 THC

This single change eliminates a large portion of products currently on shelves—especially THCA flower. Even if Delta-9 is below 0.3%, a product can still fail compliance under this formula.

COAs Are No Longer Optional — They Are Everything

Certificates of Analysis (COAs) must now meet strict standards:

Must come from ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs
Must include full cannabinoid profiles, testing dates, and measurement of uncertainty
Must be current (not expired)
Must be accessible via QR code or URL within three clicks or less

If your COA is incomplete, unclear, or outdated—it is a liability, not protection.

Labeling and Packaging Just Got Real

Every product must now include:

Batch number and date
Manufacturer name and contact info
Serving size and servings per container
Direct COA access via URL
Required health warnings

Packaging must be:

Child-resistant
Tamper-evident
Resealable (for multi-serving products)

Old inventory likely does not meet these standards anymore.

Enforcement Is Active — Not Theoretical

The state has clear authority to:

Inspect your facility
Pull samples
Review your records
Issue violations, stop-sale orders, or seizures

And importantly—each day a violation continues can count separately under enforcement actions.

What You Should Do Right Now

This is not a “wait and see” moment.

Immediate steps:

Remove non-compliant products from shelves
Review every COA (especially THCA content)
Audit all labels and packaging
Separate and clearly mark non-compliant inventory
Train staff on Total THC—not just Delta-9

Many businesses are choosing to quarantine inventory while legal challenges move forward. But enforcement can still happen in the meantime.

The Bottom Line

This is no longer a loosely regulated market.

Texas has moved into a compliance-first framework, and businesses that fail to adapt quickly are exposed to real operational and legal risk.

The operators who survive this shift will be the ones who:

Document everything
Verify everything
Train their teams
And operate like regulated businesses—not smoke shops

For full details, review the official compliance memo: 👉View the Full Texas Hemp Compliance Memo from Sergi & Associates