Army veteran Ty Cobb, shops for CBD gummies, which he says helps reduce his anxiety, in February 2023 in Houston.

A woman walks by a display of hi Seltzer at a Spec's Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods store in Houston.

I don’t always use cannabis, but when I do, I smoke marijuana.

Admittedly, I am an extremely infrequent user. I dabble when I visit places where recreational marijuana is legal or when my delinquent college friends show up. But I had never sampled products made with delta-8, a psychoactive form of hemp-derived THC, before I wrote about proposals to ban it.

After much reader feedback, I sampled hemp-derived delta-8 and delta-9 gummies sold in retail stores and compared them to marijuana gummies. I did this for you, dear reader, to understand why Republican leaders and marijuana growers are so upset over hemp products, which generate more than $6 billion in legal revenue for Texas farms and businesses.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

First, let’s review how Texas retailers came to sell hemp-derived THC.

Hemp and marijuana are the same plant. The legal difference is the amount of THC found in different varietals. Less than 0.3% on a dry weight basis is legal hemp under federal and state law; anything more is illegal marijuana.

Cannabis chemistry, though, is far more complicated than the law recognizes, and entrepreneurs are exploiting the ambiguity. As........

© Houston Chronicle