As the Texas Legislature debates SB 3—a bill that would ban all THC products—responsible hemp retailers across the state are stepping up to protect their businesses, their customers, and their communities.
For the past 18 months, Texas hemp industry advocates, business owners, policy and legal experts have worked to create a set of training modules, model store manuals, SOPs and other compliance-related business standards that can be adopted statewide to assist small businesses with building their compliance and sales capacity while pushing back against the false narratives being used to push the Prohibitionist ban agenda. The Cannabis Retailers Alliance for Texas (CRAFT) is a multi-sector industry-led effort to prove that the hemp industry is capable of self-regulation. Our members have voluntarily implemented a 21+ age policy, adopted rigorous product sourcing and testing standards, and developed a comprehensive Retailer Playbook to help businesses stay compliant in a shifting legal environment.
Our members didn’t wait for politicians to tell them what’s right,” said Jay Maguire, CRAFT co-founder and spokesperson. “Moral panics don’t start with facts—they start with fear. And that’s exactly what Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Senator Charles Perry relied on: Reefer Madness-style scare tactics and cherry-picked anecdotes. Even when the stories were true, they were outliers—not the norm. The vast majority of retailers are doing the right thing. CRAFT members voluntarily enforce a 21+ age policy and card every customer at the point of sale—just like alcohol and tobacco. That’s what responsible businesses do.”
When Lt. Governor Dan Patrick visited Happy Cactus shop in Austin last week unannounced and looking for evidence of super-high THC products, he was expecting a political “gotcha” moment. What he found instead was a professional, compliant business, stocked with compliant products and operated with trained staff following company policy, carding customers and following best practices. That’s not politics—that’s policy in action.
Key leaders in the hemp space are weighing in:
• Rhiannon Yard, owner of Hemp Gaia, says: “We teach retailers how to verify COAs match the products on their shelves and ensure lab tests were done using the correct methods at accredited labs. That’s how we protect our customers and our licenses.”
• Nick Mortillaro, owner of Lazydaze Coffeeshops, adds: “Retailers need to cut through the buzz and noise with real, evidence-based education. That’s what CRAFT provides.”
• Brian Dombrowsky, owner of Aim High Distro, says: “CRAFT helps business owners stay licensed and build trust by educating their communities about what they do.”
The public already supports this approach. Polls show that 68% of Texans favor safe, regulated access to THC—and the $8 billion Texas hemp market proves they’re voting with their wallets.
To read the full press release or to join the movement, visitjoincraft.org
If you’d like to learn more, speak with a CRAFT spokesperson, or schedule a visit to one of our member retailers, feel free to reach out directly.
Exploring the Possibility of History Repeating Itself
In October 2024, global health leaders, policymakers, and private sector representatives convened in Washington, D.C., for the Bird Flu Pandemic Preparedness Summit. This event, focused on addressing the growing risk of avian influenza, bore striking similarities to Event 201, the 2019 pandemic simulation that foreshadowed many aspects of the real-world COVID-19 crisis. With the hypothetical scenarios modeled at the Bird Flu Summit raising awareness of the potential threat, it has sparked a controversial hypothesis: could this be a harbinger of an imminent bird flu pandemic, just as Event 201 seemingly preceded COVID-19?
Revisiting Event 201 and Its Real-World Parallel
Event 201, hosted in October 2019, was a tabletop exercise simulating a global coronavirus pandemic. Its purpose was to stress-test global systems and identify gaps in pandemic preparedness. Critics and conspiracy theorists have since questioned the timing, noting that COVID-19 emerged mere months later. While experts argue that such simulations are a prudent step in pandemic preparedness, the proximity of the two events fueled speculation and mistrust.
The Bird Flu Summit 2024, like Event 201, simulated a pandemic scenario—this time involving the rapid spread of a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain. Participants explored the global impact of the disease, including overwhelmed healthcare systems, international trade disruptions, and vaccine development challenges. The similarities in structure, themes, and timing have led some to question whether history could repeat itself.
The Bird Flu Threat: A Growing Concern
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has been on global health watchlists for years. Certain strains, such as H5N1 and H5N6, have shown the potential to infect humans, with high mortality rates in cases of zoonotic transmission. In 2023 and 2024, outbreaks among poultry and wild birds surged worldwide, with isolated human cases raising alarms.
The Bird Flu Summit 2024 aimed to preemptively address these concerns, yet it has inadvertently amplified speculation about the possibility of an impending pandemic. The timing of the event—preceding the spring migratory season when avian influenza typically peaks—has added to the unease.
Drawing Parallels: Event 201 vs. Bird Flu Summit 2024
Both events share several key features:
1. Focus on Global Preparedness:
Like Event 201, the Bird Flu Summit emphasized the need for public-private collaboration, rapid vaccine development, and robust communication strategies to combat misinformation.
2. Simulation of a Hypothetical Pandemic:
Each event modeled a fictional pandemic scenario, aiming to highlight vulnerabilities in global systems and prompt preemptive action.
3. Proximity to Real-World Events:
Critics of Event 201 argue that its timing—mere months before COVID-19 emerged—was suspiciously close. Similarly, the Bird Flu Summit’s focus on avian influenza comes amid heightened global outbreaks, leading some to question whether the exercise reflects an imminent reality.
4. The Role of High-Profile Organizations:
Both events were hosted by influential institutions and involved high-level representatives, further fueling conspiracy theories that such exercises are more than just precautionary measures.
Bill Gates and the World Health Organization have been questioned by alternative media like Alex Jones and others that doubt the official narrative of events following 2020.
Is another PLANDEMIC at works here to derail Trumps 2nd term and plummet the United States into lock downs and more chaos.
The Conspiracy Theory: Cause for Concern or Misplaced Fear?
Skeptics argue that such events may serve as precursors—or even catalysts—for real-world pandemics, citing the overlap between Event 201 and COVID-19 as evidence. Proponents of this theory now turn their attention to the Bird Flu Summit, hypothesizing that a bird flu pandemic could materialize in spring 2025, mirroring the timeline of COVID-19’s emergence after Event 201.
However, experts caution against drawing direct correlations. Pandemic simulations are designed to identify weaknesses, not to predict or trigger outbreaks. The rise of zoonotic diseases like avian influenza is more closely tied to ecological factors such as climate change, deforestation, and intensive farming practices, which increase opportunities for animal-to-human
transmission.
Curious as it may be however, mainstream media outlets are noticeable pushing the fear mongering for a coming bird flu. One need only flip on the MSNBS or CNN for the latest in this propaganda based reporting. With Deep State actors afraid of what a Trump administration lead by the likes of RFK Jr, Elon Musk, and others. It does beg questions if there might be another
Why the Bird Flu Summit Matters
Conspiracy theories aside, the Bird Flu Summit underscored critical issues in pandemic preparedness:
1. Rapid Vaccine Deployment:
Advances in mRNA technology, widely used in COVID-19 vaccines, were a focal point of the summit. Accelerating the development and distribution of bird flu vaccines is a key strategy to mitigate potential outbreaks.
2. Surveillance and Early Warning Systems:
The summit called for strengthening global surveillance of avian influenza to detect outbreaks early and prevent spillover to humans.
3. Public Trust and Communication:
Building public trust through transparent communication was emphasized, especially in combating misinformation—a challenge that plagued COVID-19 responses.
4. Global Cooperation:
The summit highlighted the importance of international collaboration, particularly in addressing vaccine equity and sharing resources during crises.
Preparing for the Worst While Hoping for the Best
Whether or not the Bird Flu Summit 2024 foreshadows an imminent pandemic remains uncertain. While the parallels with Event 201 are compelling, they may ultimately be coincidental. Nevertheless, the ongoing rise in zoonotic diseases reminds us that global health preparedness is more crucial than ever.
Rather than succumbing to fear or speculation, the focus should remain on actionable steps to prevent and mitigate future pandemics. The lessons from both Event 201 and the Bird Flu Summit 2024 are clear: the world must be vigilant, proactive, and united in its approach to emerging health threats.
In the end, preparedness is not a guarantee against pandemics—but it is our best defense. Whether the spring of 2025 brings a bird flu pandemic or not, the steps we take today will define how resilient we are when the next crisis inevitably strikes.
To read the full press release or to join the movement, visit joincraft.org
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