TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — TNT Up in Smoke opened in January of this year, selling THC and hemp-based products. Three months into business, uncertainty over what is allowed and what is banned is leaving the shop owners hurting.
Co-owner Tom Munson said the new regulations have driven away some of his most loyal customers.
"We've lost a lot of customers; we've lost a lot of vets, a lot of older, elderly people. We've lost about an average about $5,000 a month in the sales," Munson said.
Munson said the changes are not just hurting his bottom line — they are hurting the people who rely on his products.
"We have old customers come in and say, 'Do you have this? We need this because it's hurting me. I'm having a hard time coping, hard time sleeping at night,' and we just don't have the products to offer them anymore. I mean, it's sad for them; we're in this to make money, but we're also in this to help people, because THC has been proven to help people," Munson said.
As smoke shops across the state battle new regulations and several companies attempt to fight them in court, Munson said keeping up with the shifting rules adds an extra layer of confusion for business owners.
"The laws are confusing; it's one week we can sell this, next week we sell that...it's very confusing. If you get caught, I think with 1 gram, it's possibly 2 years to be locked up; the fines alone, that's crazy. If you don't stay on top of the law, you could get shut down," Munson said.
A federal judge recently denied a request to overrule the most recent ban, which took effect in July and adds jail time for possession of illegal amounts of certain cannabis products. President Trump delayed a federal ban on hemp, but that does not affect Texas court decisions.
Munson said he hopes state leadership will take a closer look at the impact the regulations are having on small businesses and their customers.
"It is very hard to run a smoke shop this day and age. So, right now we're hoping for a change in leadership in the state of Texas, because I think that's the only way we will survive. They're already talking about 2027 making it even harder to sell THC products," Munson said.
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