The first cycle of weed legislation has allowed Texas a few theoretical baby steps into the cannabiz, but as we close in on one-year-post Senate Bill 339, what actually is happening in Texas – to activists and entrepreneurs on the ground?

I recently wrote about the legislative state of legal weed in the state of Texas — from medical use to im/pending recreational legalization, there’s a lot going on. But often times, what’s happening on the top structural level takes a bit to work it’s way down to the everyday IRL. As such, here’s a snippet from part two of my coverage of Texas cannabis for mg magazine.

The Texas Compassionate Use Act (Senate Bill 339) went into effect on June 1, 2015. It allows patients with intractable epilepsy prescription access to “low-THC cannabis” – marijuana that contains 10% or more CBD and not more than 0.5% THC. Under the law, licensed businesses are authorized to cultivate, process, and provide compliant cannabis to qualifying individuals. The Texas Department of Safety (DPS), which oversees the program, will begin issuing licenses by September 1, 2017.

Though Texas law may appear to be setting a very limited stage for its cannabis industry, savvy entrepreneurs and advocates are already moving into the Lone Star State’s developing canna-space.

According to Patrick Moran, CEO and Managing Partner of AcquiFlow, LLC, Texas’ first open, transparent, and legal cannabis company, people are getting into the state’s industry in one of two ways: via primary market services and via ancillary support services. And while most primary services – those that deal directly with the plant – are in a preparation/holding stage until business licenses actually go into effect, the ancillary market is burgeoning with creative entrepreneurs…

Well… what do you think about Texas weed?

mg is currently print only (though the website is coming soon in June!), so if you’d like to read more full articles you can subscribe here or pick up a copy at your local Barnes & Noble. Texas is the second largest state in the US and has the second largest population — big things are coming to a place where everything is generally bigger, y’all!

Make sure to check out Part 1 of “The State of Weed in the State of Texas” right here (April, 2016).

Many thanks to the people who lent their insights to this piece — in addition to Moran, Ginger Lee of Earth Right Alternatives, Lori Strobe of Looking Glass Recruiting, Drayah Sallis of Our Cannabis Culture and Women Grow – Dallas, Roger B. Martin of Grow for Vets, Karen Reeves of CenTex Community Outreach, and Scott Bier of Green Well Ventures.

(pictured: picture of a picture)

Interested in more B2B cannabis coverage? Check out summaries from mg right here.

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