Texas ban on smokable hemp forces Dallas shops to clear inventory

At MoonTaxi in Lower Greenville, smokable hemp products are now 20% off and customers are grabbing them while they can. That's because starting Tuesday, the store says it can no longer legally sell them.

"Tomorrow is when the new rules and regulations that DSHS is putting through, which is going to majorly affect 70% of our sales," General Manager Tess Bratton-Rodriguez said. 

Bratton-Rodriguez shows us the store's selection of THCA flower, their top seller. 

Earlier this month, the Texas Department of State Health Services released new regulations that prohibit the sale of smokable hemp products in Texas.

The new rules also significantly raise annual licensing costs for hemp businesses, increasing manufacturer fees from just over $250 to $10,000, and retail registrations from $155 to $5,000. 

This follows concerns about underage access to hemp products. Last legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott stopped short of signing an outright ban and instead directed state health officials to tighten regulations. 

"It's really unfortunate because we've made so much progress to have the laws changed already and now for this to happen it almost seems like a step backwards and I feel like it will force people to find other outlets that may not necessarily be legal," customer Michael Rodriguez said. 

Bratton-Rodriguez says local small businesses are already feeling the impact.

"The licensing fees increasing are definitely quite ridiculous in my opinion," she said. 

"The first store I worked for is closing down and it's extremely sad because that shop was open for seven years." 

MoonTaxi employees say, despite the changes, they're confident they'll be fine in the long run. They'll be shifting their focus to the other products they can sell - like edibles and cannabis cocktails.