Texas SB1325 took effect when it was signed by Governor Abbott on June 10, 2019, and legalizes hemp in the State of Texas. Marijuana and hemp are both Cannabis sativa L plants containing Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. The difference between the two is the quantity of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol present. The Crime Laboratory needs new equipment in order to be able to quantify THC in evidentiary items. The Crime Laboratory is currently working with IT Purchasing to procure a LCMS system. If the Crime Laboratory is able to physically acquire a new LCMS system by August 2020, it will be well into the 2021 calendar year before we could bring THC quantification testing online. If the Chemistry Unit gets a new LCMS system and an additional chemist, the Crime Laboratory could begin to insource THC quantification cases. This could be a good opportunity for insourcing THC cases from smaller agencies, since we may be the first government Lab in the area with the ability to conduct THC quantification testing. The Chemistry Unit would have to acquire additional personnel in order to insource THC testing, or the Unit’s turnaround time and backlog would increase. COVID-19 has had a deleterious effect on the City’s budget; I do not foresee funding for an additional chemist position. |