Battle lines have been drawn for a special legislative session beginning Monday that could save the rapidly growing industry or shut it down.

This week, the Senate Committee on State Affairs met to hash out the details of Senate Bill 5, which would ban THC products statewide.

Experts say poison control data don’t specify which calls are related to hemp versus more dangerous K2, but show that most THC poisonings cause minor side effects.

Wednesday’s news conference was the latest move in an increasingly aggressive push to head off another wave of opposition to the hemp ban.

The 30-day special session of the Texas Legislature is set to begin Monday, July 21. The agenda includes 18 legislative priorities determined by Gov. Greg Abbott.Several of the priorities listed address the recent devastating floods in Central Texas.

By taking up new congressional maps pushed by President Trump first, Republicans hope to discourage Democrats from walking out of a special session before they vote on flood relief.

The Legislature will look at proposals for emergency preparedness in a special session that was already planned over hemp laws. A bill to help build emergency systems failed in the spring.

The largest hemp growers in the state of Texas are here in Lubbock. LPD Identifies motorcyclist killed in overnight crash in west Lubbock Caprock Family Farms started growing the plant six years ago when the hemp bill passed in Texas.