Hunter Robinson ran his hemp business legally and still had his product confiscated by the police.Hunter Robinson’s October 2021 visit with the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office could have ended in one of two ways: with an apology or with a pair of handcuffs. It was the latter, and Robinson spent the next 30 hours in jail, charged with a felony for possession of marijuana.
In 2019, the Texas Legislature passed a law leading to the creation of the Texas Industrial Hemp Program, a licensing scheme that would allow growers to plant a cash crop that supporters saw as a boon for the Texas farmers. Hemp fibers are used to make textiles and rope. The plant’s seeds are pressed to make oil used in the industry and in food supplements.
None of that mattered. When the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office was done with them, their plants were cut to the stem and their bags of bud were gone, along with their business.Skyler Purcell had all the correct licensing for his hemp business, but police still harrassed the company and seized product.Robinson and Purcell grew up together. “We’re basically best friends,” Robinson said.
He woke up the next day in just as much discomfort as ever. So he tried it again. Again, his pain subsided, and he uses CBD to this day. “We offered our hand to these people,” he said. “Keep in mind, you’re talking to a gentleman who had a [thin] blue line flag on his truck. That’s me. I absolutely support my law enforcement, and I was more than willing to help in any way possible.”
The only details mentioned in the warrant was a description of the building, the business address and a weed smell reported by neighbors. An affidavit supporting the warrant references their equipment as being used for “marijuana growing.” “On 6-10-21 Lieutenant Andrews, Captain Farmer and Corporal Richards went back to the location and on the west side where the plastic pots are located observed what is believed to be pots containing marijuana stems and other plant materials used in a growing operation,” the affidavit said. “Lieutenant Andrews could also smell what he knew to be marijuana emitting from the vents coming out of the building.
The first affidavit says police knocked, but didn’t get an answer. That’s when they busted in. Officers at the scene told them they had no knowledge of the state’s hemp program, Robinson and Purcell said.
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