Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission

09/23/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2025 18:18

Industry Notice: TABC adopts emergency rules on consumable hemp products, effective immediately

At TABC's commission meeting today, the agency took action to implement Governor Abbott's Executive Order GA-56 by adopting two emergency rules to prohibit TABC license and permit holders from providing consumable hemp products (CHPs) to minors.

These emergency rules became effective earlier today and TABC will begin enforcement on Oct. 1, 2025. TABC will use the intervening week to notify impacted businesses of the new restrictions and requirements in the rules.

TABC has updated its Consumable Hemp Products page with information about these emergency rules and has summarized them in this email.

TABC Rule 51.1: Age Restriction on CHP Consumer Sales

A TABC license or permit holder who sells, offers to sell, serves, or delivers a consumable hemp product to a person who is under 21 is in violation of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code (Code), and their TABC license or permit will be canceled. However, there is no violation if all the following occurred:

  • The seller complied with the age verification requirement (see below).
  • The minor falsely represented themself to be 21 or older.
  • The seller reasonably believed the minor was 21 or older.

TABC Rule 51.2: Age Verification for CHP Consumer Sales

A TABC license or permit holder who fails to carefully inspect a person's ID and verify they are 21 or older before completing the sale, service, or delivery of a consumable hemp product with that person is in violation of the Code, and their TABC license or permit will be cancelled.

The person's ID must meet all the following requirements:

  • Issued by a government agency (e.g., driver's license, passport, military ID).
  • Unexpired.
  • Includes a physical description and photo consistent with the person's appearance.
  • Purports to establish that the person is 21 or older.
  • Appears to be valid.

Note

A TABC license or permit does not authorize a business to engage in the consumable hemp industry. If a business wants to engage in that industry, it must first get proper authorization from DSHS.

What's Next

TABC's emergency rules on consumable hemp products will be effective for 120 days and may be extended by 60 days if necessary. The rules will undergo the standard rulemaking process this fall in which the rules will likely be proposed at TABC's November commission meeting and then adopted in January 2026. This leaves an ample opportunity for stakeholders to provide comments and recommendations to TABC about its consumable hemp rules.

Additional Information

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission published this content on September 23, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 24, 2025 at 00:18 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]