Texas is on the verge of wiping out thousands of small hemp businesses with a single rule change.

State health officials have proposed raising annual licensing fees for hemp retailers from $150 to $20,000 and for manufacturers from $250 to $25,000. That is an increase of more than 13,000 percent. For many small, Texas owned businesses, this would be impossible to survive.

These shops are not giant corporations. They are family run stores, veterans starting second careers, and local entrepreneurs who followed the law and registered with the state. A fee hike of this size would force many to close, lay off workers, or leave the regulated market entirely.

Supporters of the increase claim it is about oversight and safety. But the Texas Department of State Health Services has acknowledged that the cost of regulating the industry is relatively small. This makes it clear that these fees are not about responsible regulation. They function as a financial barrier that only large, multi state companies can afford.

Texas lawmakers already rejected a full ban on hemp products. This proposal achieves the same result through paperwork and pricing. When small businesses disappear, consumers lose access to regulated products, and the unregulated market grows.

Texas prides itself on supporting small businesses and free enterprise. A rule that hands the market to corporations while crushing local shops goes against those values.

We call on the Texas Department of State Health Services and Governor Greg Abbott to withdraw the proposed licensing fee increases. Regulation should be fair, reasonable, and focused on safety, not on eliminating small operators.

Sign this petition to stand up for Texas small businesses and demand hemp rules that are balanced, lawful, and sustainable.