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The reluctance of Texas lawmakers to expand the legality of marijuana in the state isn’t stopping a growing industry of niche cannabis producers who see opportunity in the Lone Star state.
So what’s it like to be a craft hemp cultivator trying to grow legal cannabis in Texas?
Colt Powers, the co-founder and CEO of Power BioPharms in Euless, said its been challenging to navigate the legal landscape.
Recreational marijuana use is illegal in Texas, but certain people can qualify for medicinal prescriptions for low THC cannabis for particular health conditions. Beyond that, CBD derived from hemp that contains less than 0.3% THC is legal in Texas.
Powers said his interest in the weed industry began when he used CBD to help deal with lingering injuries he sustained while playing sports in college. After experiencing the health benefits for himself, Powers said, he saw this as a great business opportunity to help people in Fort Worth area and Texas as a whole.
“It’s an opportunity to create good in the world and improve the lives of others everyday,” Powers said.
Why did Power BioPharms start in the Fort Worth area?
Although he grew up in Dallas, Powers said he moved to Fort Worth after college and instantly fell in love with the city.
Powers started Power BioPharms at his house with a few grow tents at the end of 2020. As business started to expand and legislative loopholes began to form, he chose to move into a bigger facility in Euless.
His main motivation for being based in Fort Worth was to bring legal cannabis to a place he loved and introduce his products to a population that may be more skeptical to weed than others.
“I want us to be known as a local favorite,” Powers said.
What makes Power BioPharms unique?
Tucked between trucking companies, natural gas facilities and an adult entertainment club, the company’s nondescript warehouse is unsuspecting for what’s growing inside.
An earthy smell of cannabis permeates through the air. Powers and his crew monitor four different grow rooms in which they cultivate and produce their hemp plants. Once they are harvested, they are taken into a production lab where the buds are trimmed off the hemp plants after they dry.
Power BioPharms crafts its flower, gummies, extracts, topicals and even pet treats all in-house.
Nick Williams, the vice president of operations, said the pet treats are one of the products that makes them stand out among other hemp-based sellers.
“I like our pet treats because we make them all in-house,” Williams said. “It’s all very good ingredients, and the majority of our products we make in-house as well.”
The hemp-derived products from Power BioPharms contain both CBD and Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Texas House Bill 1325, also known as the Texas Hemp Farming Act, allows for the sale of hemp-sourced THC products in retail stores and online as long they do not contain over 0.3% THC.
What’s the future for cannabis in Texas?
Efforts to expand medical marijuana in Texas, or loosen the state’s cannabis laws overall, have had a difficult time in the Legislature.
Nonetheless, Powers and Williams said they are optimistic for the future of the cannabis industry in Texas. They see themselves continuing to expand and eventually becoming the best, most-popular cannabis business in the state.
“All I know is in 10 years, we will be the No. 1 cannabis producer in the state of Texas for sure,” Williams said. “There’s no doubt in my mind. The team that we’ve assembled, and with the care and love we make all our products with, we will be No 1.”
