TEMPLE, Texas — As Texas lawmakers inch closer to finalizing the fate of Senate Bill 3 , hemp and THC product stores in Central Texas are seeing a spike in sales — not from recreational users, but from concerned customers stocking up in case the bill becomes law.

SB 3, if signed by Governor Greg Abbott or allowed to pass without his signature, would place heavy restrictions on consumable hemp products, including caps on THC levels, new packaging requirements and a costly $20,000 permitting fee. Many shop owners believe the bill would effectively destroy the state’s growing hemp industry.

Rick Doyle, owner of Hemp and Herbs in Temple, said the bill would wipe out half his business.

“This bill is absolutely nothing but a ban,” Doyle said. “It’s not going to help anyone. What it will

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