Snell Law attorneys Jason Snell and Lance Cawthon, who serve on the litigation team representing Texas hemp businesses and industry organizations, helped secure emergency injunctive relief against enforcement of newly adopted Texas hemp regulations that Plaintiffs allege exceed statutory authority and violate Texas law.
On April 10, 2026, Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble signed a Temporary Restraining Order halting enforcement of key portions of the challenged regulations after finding that Plaintiffs demonstrated a probable right to relief and that, without immediate court intervention, they would suffer imminent irreparable harm.
Following a full evidentiary hearing, on May 1, 2026, Travis County District Judge Daniella DeSeta Lyttle entered a Temporary Injunction, continuing that relief while the case proceeds toward trial. The Court found that Plaintiffs established a probable right to recovery on claims of ultra vires agency action, violations of the Texas Constitution, and violations of the Texas Administrative Procedure Act.
The lawsuit was filed by the Texas Hemp Business Council, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, and several Texas hemp businesses against the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, their respective commissioners in their official capacities, and the Texas Attorney General.
Jason Snell and Lance Cawthon worked alongside co-counsel and industry organizations to obtain the Temporary Restraining Order and Temporary Injunction, and to challenge the validity of the regulations that took effect on March 31, 2026.
The Temporary Injunction restrains enforcement of the challenged provisions governing the State’s newly adopted “total delta-9 THC” testing and compliance standards, transportation restrictions, fee increases, penalty provisions, and related enforcement actions. The Court further held that the relief extends beyond the named plaintiffs to commercial participants in Texas’s consumable hemp industry, as necessary to preserve the status quo and prevent irreparable harm during the litigation.
Snell Law is a boutique litigation firm based in Austin, Texas. The firm represents businesses, professionals, and organizations in complex commercial, constitutional, and administrative litigation matters throughout Texas.