Texas officials have adopted a series of new rules for the state’s hemp market—with certain revisions that advocates and stakeholders call a “direct victory,” including changes to make participation in the industry more affordable, and other regulations that threaten to severely restrict product availability.

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) unveiled the amended hemp rules on Friday, about two months after publishing proposed regulations with licensing fees and other changes that led organizations such as the Texas Cannabis Policy Center (TCPC) to sound the alarm.

In response, the department received more than 1,400 comments urging revisions.

“Revised rules have slashed manufacturer fees from $25,000 to $10,000 and retailer fees from $20,000 to $5,000. This is a direct victory for advocacy,” Heather Fazio, director of TCPC, said in an email to supporters on Monday. “However, significant challenges remain.”

Specifically, the agency decided to maintain language requiring hemp products to be tested for “total THC” content, including THCA, which means most cannabis flower would be considered non-compliant with limitations imposed under state law.

“We estimate this will hand 50 percent of the legal market to illicit operators, making our state less safe,” Fazio said.

TCPC and other groups such as the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) have also pointed out that there would be additional requirements imposed on hemp businesses with respect to product testing, labeling and record-keeping.

Separately, under a proposed rule from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) there would also be a “less consequential, but important” update to the hemp program, Fazio said, with the agency seeking to prohibit the on-site consumption of hemp at businesses where alcohol isn’t allowed. There would be no “sampling” exceptions in place, either.

(Disclosure: Fazio supports Marijuana Moment’s work with a monthly Patreon pledge.)

TCPC did share a piece of positive news for advocates, noting “steady progress” in expanding the state’s medical cannabis program under a law enacted last year. While adult-use legalization has continued to stall in the conservative legislature, the medical marijuana program is significantly expanding, with nine new licenses already approved and three more expected before April 1.

Meanwhile, last week, Texas voters approved a marijuana legalization question that appeared on the state’s Democratic primary ballot.

As part of the primary election on Tuesday, each major party was able to place several non-binding propositions on the ballot that allow voters show how they feel on key issues. The Texas Democratic Party used one of its propositions to find out where the electorate stands on legalizing cannabis and whether past convictions should be expunged.

For what it’s worth, a statewide poll released last month found that Texas voters don’t like how state leaders and lawmakers have handled marijuana and THC policy issues. In the survey, a plurality of voters (40 percent) said they disapprove of how their elected officials have approached the issue, according to the survey. Just 29 percent said they approve of how cannabis issues have been handled, while 31 percent said they didn’t have an opinion one way or another.

A separate poll released last year found that a plurality of Texas voters want the state’s marijuana laws to be made “less strict.” And among the legislative items lawmakers considered during recent special sessions, voters say a proposal to address hemp regulations was among the least important.

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For its part, the state Department of Public Safety in October adopted additional rules to increase the number of licensed dispensaries, establishing security requirements for “satellite” locations and authorizing the revocation of licenses for certain violations.

DSHS also recently finalized rules allowing doctors to recommend new qualifying conditions for cannabis patients and creating standards for allowable low-THC inhalation devices.

Meanwhile, bipartisan Texas lawmakers say the stage is set to advance legislation next session establishing regulations for hemp THC products, with growing understanding among their colleagues that prohibition fails to effectively address concerns about the cannabis market.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — On Sunday afternoon, Texas women’s basketball and South Carolina will reunite in the SEC Tournament’s championship game.

South Carolina is looking to win its 10th SEC Tournament championship since 2015. Having been the Big 12’s best in 2022 and 2024, Texas is playing for its third conference tournament title under head coach Vic Schaefer.

Stay tuned for live updates.

The Longhorns scored 20 of this game’s first 25 points and will take a 1-point lead into the second quarter. Leading the Longhorns was sophomore forward Justice Carlton, who outscored the Gamecocks by herself. While scoring 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, Carlton also recorded three rebounds and three assists.

Carlton’s quick start came less than 24 hours after she played just four minutes in the second half of an 85-68 win over Ole Miss.

South Carolina shot just 4-for-13 from the field over this afternoon’s first 10 minutes. Over its first 14 games against ranked teams this season, South Carolina had outscored its opponents by an average of 4.2 points in the first quarter.

Fueled by Justice Carlton, Texas has jumped out to a 14-0 lead in South Carolina. Carlton already has scored six points, and the sophomore forward assisted teammate Breya Cunningham on the game’s first basket and set up another UT score by drawing an offensive foul. Carlton has also recorded a steal.

Texas has made its first seven shots this afternoon. South Carolina has called an early timeout after a start that included five turnovers and just one field-goal attempt.

Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.

PROVO — Robert Wright III wasn’t one of the four seniors honored in BYU’s regular-season finale Saturday night.

But if it was his final time playing in the Marriott Center — and in an era of the transfer portal that opens up and NBA-like free agency every offseason, you can never count that out — then the former All-Big 12 freshman at Baylor was going to make it memorable.

How about a top-10 victory, for good measure?

Wright scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half to go with six rebounds and two assists; and Kennard Davis Jr. drained the final go-ahead 3-pointer with 1 minuted, 34 seconds remaining as BYU snapped a three-game losing skid with a 82-76 win over No. 10 Texas Tech in front of a sold-out crowd at the Marriott Center.

AJ Dybantsa added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists in what most assume to be the future NBA draft lottery pick’s final game in Provo, and Davis finished with 16 points for the Cougars (21-10, 9-9 Big 12).

Christian Anderson poured in 23 points, four rebounds and nine assists for Texas Tech; and Donovan Atwell added 23 points and six rebounds for the Red Raiders (22-9, 12-6 Big 12).

Jaylen Petty scored 14 points for Texas Tech, which made 16 3-pointers — but just 4-of-16 in the second half.

That’s when Wright to work, converting 7-of-10 field goals and all nine of his free-throw attempts as BYU rallied from as much as a 13-point deficit in the first half to help the Cougars to their first win over Texas Tech since Dec. 17, 1993.

With little to play for in the Big 12 Tournament beyond pride and a sendoff for four seniors, including injured star Richie Saunders, Texas Tech opened the regular-season finale with more of it.

Anderson dropped in five 3-pointers and six assists in the first half, and the Red Raiders shot 12-of-19 from deep to lead by as much as 13 before the break.

After a short run from BYU, Donovan Atwell hit Texas Tech’s eighth triple out of a media timeout, and Anderson added another of the Red Raiders’ 12 first-half 3-pointers to stretch the lead back to 37-27 en route to a 46-38 halftime advantage.

Davis had 13 points, including three of BYU’s five 3-pointers before the break; and Dybantsa added 10 points, three rebounds and two assists on 4-of-14 shooting for the Cougars before halftime.

BYU didn’t commit a turnover until Josiah Moseley’s steal with 15:52 remaining, and Wright capped a 13-6 run out of halftime to bring the Cougars all the way back within 52-51 a minute later.

Buoyed by a defense — there’s that word that seemed far-too-unfamiliar at times during the recent stretch of three-straight losses, or eight in the past 11 games — that held the Red Raiders to 2-of-6 shooting from the perimeter, Dybantsa converted a 3-point play to give BYU its first lead of the half, 58-57 with 11:23 remaining.

Wright scored 6 straight points, Dybantsa added 4 in a row, and Keita capped a 14-2 run that lifted the Cougars to their largest lead of the game, 74-66, with a 14-2 run with 4:42 remaining.

This story will be updated.