A May 1, 2026 Texas Supreme Court ruling declared manufactured cannabis products such as Delta-8 unlawful, reverting to a 2021 definition of tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) as a controlled substance.

What's happening: The law took effect on July 31, prohibiting the sale of at least half of the products at thousands of businesses. The regulations also raised annual hemp retail licensing fees from $150 to $5,000 per location.

The impact: Carole Baker, owner of CBD American Shaman in Spring, said 60% of her inventory was lost due to the new Texas THC regulations. As a small business owner, Baker said she does not see it as feasible to pay $5,000 to renew her license and does not know how she will move forward when the time comes.

The Harris County Flood Control District is on track to complete its disaster recovery projects, HCFCD Executive Director Marcus Stuckett said.

At a glance: The county’s 11 disaster recovery projects, funded through federal grants, are no longer in jeopardy of missing a spending deadline after the Texas General Land Office extended the timeline by a year.

Zooming in: Key details regarding the funding and deadlines include:

• The GLO disbursed $322 million to Harris County following Hurricane Harvey, and the county allocated $546 million to the HCFCD.

• The HCFCD has $113 million in unallocated funding for disaster recovery projects, which Stuckett said will not jeopardize project completion.

• Disaster recovery projects now have a deadline of February 2028.

If a deadline is missed, GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham warned the state would reallocate the unused balance to other "shovel-ready projects."

Several local businesses have recently closed in the Spring-Klein area, including several local staples:

• Cupcake Quilts, a local fabric shop, closed its doors on Sept. 30 after nearly 11 years of operation.

• Lupe Tortilla, a statewide Tex-Mex chain, closed its restaurant location near Champion Forest Drive.

• Slice of Venice, a locally owned pizzeria founded by Inna Klebanskaya in January 2025, closed on Oct. 18.

• The Container Store, a national home organization chain, closed its storefront location on FM 1960 West.

Federal, state and local leaders met Oct. 16 to discuss future collaboration on regional flood mitigation projects for Greater Houston.

At a glance: The meeting, closed to the public but open to the media, was the third cross-jurisdictional meeting held to address the region's infrastructure needs. Attendees included FEMA officials and elected leaders from the state House, state Senate, the City of Houston, Harris County and Montgomery County.

The details: Key points from the discussion included:

• Houston city council member Twila Carter emphasized mitigating flood risk before disasters occur.

• Montgomery County Commissioners Ritch Wheeler and Matt Gray noted funding challenges, as the county relies on property taxes and lacks access to sales taxes.

• FEMA deputy division director John Garvin said that predictable projects are most competitive for FEMA grants.

• State Rep. Steve Toth said the group will meet again to begin drilling down on projects.

Attention readers: We are looking for residents in the Spring-Klein area who have experienced flooding in their home. If your home flooded during Hurricane Harvey or another disaster and would like to share how flooding has impacted you, please reach out to [email protected].