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How the Delta-8 ban is affecting local businesses in the Brazos Valley

The Texas Department of State Health Services updated its website last week classifying the THC product as illegal.

BRYAN, Texas — On the morning of Oct. 15th Ali Sheikhani, the CEO of Vape City, says he woke up to the news that shocked and flat out baffled him.

"It was so random and without any notice," Sheikhani said. One day I just woke up and see that Delta 8 is illegal. How can it be possible?"  

Texas Department of State Health Services updated its website saying Delta-8 THC products are considered an illegal schedule 1 controlled substance.

A lawsuit opposing the DSHS update was filed in the 126th district court in Travis County on Wednesday, Oct. 20. However, the temporary restraining order was denied.

 "Delta 8 was pretty much I'd say our second-best seller in all of my stores," Sheikhani said. "We've been selling delta 8 for a year and a half since they made it legal, so since then."

Sheikhani says he expects to lose a good 30-35% of sales because of this decision.  Vape and smoke shop owners across the lone star state are now left in limbo with thousands and in some cases millions of dollars worth of inventory they can't sell.

 "So where is the inventory going to go? It's going to go two ways," Sheikhani said. "First, it's going to go to the black market and second 400 maybe 500 stores are going to burn the inventory but what about the other 400 or 500 stores? It's going to go to the black market. The state's going to lose money at the end of the day."

 While Sheikhani may be able to take the hit from this ban, he worries that other smaller stores across the state won't survive this.

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