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Delta-8, a hemp product you might’ve seen for sale in gas stations and strip malls across Texas, could soon be treated as an illegal drug, putting it in the same category as heroin and LSD. What this would mean for the businesses that sell them and the people who use them.
It’s the last day of school for students in Austin ISD, meaning it’s the last day many seniors will ever set foot on campus. Before that, a group of them went back to trace their steps at Dawson Elementary before the school closes.
EddieAngel, the KUTX Artist of the Month for May, has the vocal chops to match the spirit of his on-stage persona.
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The full transcript of this episode of Austin Signal is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.
Jerry Quijano [00:00:08] A hemp product you might have seen for sale in gas stations and strip malls across Texas could be soon treated as an illegal drug, putting it in the same category as heroin and LSD. What this would mean for the businesses that sell them and the people who use them. And it’s the last day of school for students in Austin ISD, meaning it’s the last many seniors will ever set foot on campus. Before that, a group of them went back to trace their steps at Dawson Elementary. They’ll be the last to do so as AISD plans to shutter the school. More about those stories coming up on today’s show.
KUT Announcer: Laurie Gallardo [00:00:42] The Austin Signal is a production of KUT News, hosted by Jerry Quijano.
Jerry Quijano [00:00:47] And the KUTX Artist of the Month for May has the vocal chops to match the spirit of his onstage persona. We’re gonna chat with Eddie Angel about Chicano blues. That’s up next on Austin Signal. Howdy out there, you are listening to Austin Signal, thank you for tuning in to Community Powered Public Radio, this is KUT News, it’s Thursday, May 28th, and I’m your host Jerry Kiechanal, glad to be part of your day. A hemp product sold for years in strip malls and gas stations across the state could soon be treated as an illegal drug in the same category as LSD and heroin. It’s called Delta-8-THC. And a temporary court order that blocked Texas from banning Delta-8 is said to expire tonight at 5. But as KUT’s Nathan Bernier reports, what that means for consumers and businesses is still unclear.
Nathan Bernier [00:01:48] Delta-8 THC can get people high, and it comes from hemp, and hemp is just cannabis that’s legal because it has low levels of Delta-9 THC, the plant’s main psychoactive ingredient. Most Delta- 8 sold in Texas is made by converting another cannabis compound, known as CBD, using a chemical process. So, after hemp became legal, businesses across Texas started selling Delta-8. And it’s popular in part because it’s not as strong as Delta 9. Some people call it diet weed or weed light. But in twenty twenty one, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Delta 8 was actually a schedule one controlled substance under state law, putting it in the same category as drugs like peyote, MDMA, heroin and LSD. Hemp companies sued, and they got a temporary injunction that allowed Delta-8 sales to continue for almost five years now. But earlier this month, the Texas Supreme Court sided with the state and set a deadline for getting rid of the temporary injunction that had blocked enforcement. That deadline was today, at 5pm, and it’s left a lot of people guessing about what it means.
Cynthia Cabrera [00:02:57] We’ve asked for guidance and we haven’t gotten it.
Nathan Bernier [00:03:00] Cynthia Cabrera is with Hometown Hero, one of the companies that sued the state. She says their attorneys believe Delta-8 will remain legal for now, even without the temporary injunction.
Cynthia Cabrera [00:03:09] You know, our attorneys were like, you know we’ve reviewed all the statutes, we’ve review all the different elements and this is what we believe.
Nathan Bernier [00:03:19] That’s because they think the Department of State Health Services still has to go through a formal rulemaking process. But the Department is not taking any action now. A spokesperson says they’re still waiting for a few legal proceedings to wrap up. Hometown Hero asked the Texas Supreme Court for a second shot at arguing why the temporary injunction should stay. The court said okay and gave them until June 17th to make that argument. But the temporary injunction will still expire for now. Drug policy experts say it’s just confusing for consumers and businesses.
Catherine Harris [00:03:51] Even though the Supreme Court ruling said that the state has a legitimate authority to ban Delta 8, there’s still no clarification on enforcement on what that’s going to look like.
Nathan Bernier [00:04:02] Catherine Harris is a drug policy fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute. She says the legal risk for Delta 8 consumers could depend on how local police interpret the state’s controlled substance schedule and whether prosecutors decide to pursue cases.
Catherine Harris [00:04:16] If you live in a jurisdiction that wants to crack down on Delta A, on hemp products, on marijuana, then I think that you probably do need to be a bit more concerned. It can fundamentally just sort of be unfair in terms of who gets punished for what.
Nathan Bernier [00:04:35] In a lot of bigger Texas cities, police don’t arrest people for marijuana possession, and that’s partly because it’s impossible to tell the difference between legal hemp and illegal marijuana without expensive lab equipment. A spokesperson for the Austin Police Department said officers will treat possession of Delta 8 like they do marijuana. That policy directs officers to seize the marijuana and let the person go without charges unless the case is connected to a more serious crime. So for now, many stores and consumers are just waiting for word from the Department State Health Services. The Delta 8 lawsuit itself is not over, even though the Texas Supreme Court overturned the temporary injunction that had allowed for Delta 8 sales. It also said the underlying case can continue in the lower courts, just without that temporary protection from the state’s action while the case is decided. I’m Nathan Bernier in Austin.
Jerry Quijano [00:05:34] It’s the last day of school for Austin Independent School District students. Over the last couple of weeks, teachers, staff, and kids at 10 schools have been saying goodbye to their campuses as they will permanently close. Dawson Elementary is among those schools. And earlier this week, as part of a graduation tradition, seniors from across the district got to walk the hallways where their education journey began. KUT’s Greta Diaz-Gonzalez-Vasquez has this story.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:06:07] On the last school week of the year, two busses filled with Travis Early College high school seniors park outside of Dawson Elementary. Students fix their red caps and gowns as they get off the bus and into the school.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:06:20] Finally a school that feels good. Once inside the school they peek into the library, walk past the nurse’s office and into the cafeteria that still has the same smell as it did when they were students there. In the cafeteria, K-2nd grade students who are having lunch cheer and clap for the seniors. This will be the last class to have a senior walk at Dawson Elementary. Emmanuel Ocampo is one of the seniors, he says the school looks different through his more grown-up eyes.
Emmanuel Ocampo [00:06:50] I felt like the school shrunk, I swear I thought the gymnasium was humongous but it’s tiny and same with the library, it’s really small, it was really interesting seeing how small the school is, I thought it was huge when I was little.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:07:06] Ocampo is the only senior wearing a black cap and gown. He’s graduating from Johnson High School in Haysie ISD. He wasn’t sure if he was going to make it to his senior walk, but when he learned Dawson was closing, he and his mom decided to make the drive from Buda to Austin.
Emmanuel Ocampo [00:07:21] Because I’m on my way out, you know, I’m leaving Austin, you know, so just having the opportunity for a full circle moment, you know, full closure and being able to say bye.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:07:34] Ocampos’ grandmother and great-aunts also attended Dawson. His mom, Beverly Acosta, says the school has a special place in their memories.
Beverly Acosta [00:07:42] He came here from pre-K through fifth grade, so his only elementary school, and at that time we were going through changes in our family, and so it was really important for me that he have a place that was consistent and safe for him.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:07:58] As Acosta saw Ocampo walk the hallways once more, she couldn’t help but think of her son’s educational path.
Beverly Acosta [00:08:03] It puts in perspective how much she’s grown, not just physically and that the space around him now just seems so much smaller, but to know how much he’s grown as an individual and a young man, it’s pretty special to walk through here and put all that together. Guys, round of applause for the class of 2020!
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:08:25] One after another, seniors walk in a line down the hallways decorated with student-created art similar to what they made years ago.
Teachers [00:08:33] Hey, they’re graduating from high school, guys. What grade are they going to? They’re going to college. They’re goi-
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:08:38] Younger students stand outside their classrooms. They clap and give high fives to the seniors. Teachers also cheer and greet the former students they recognize.
Teachers [00:08:47] Oh, I’m so proud of you!
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:08:49] Thank you.
Teachers [00:08:50] Thank you.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:08:51] One of those former teachers is Susan Torres, who used to teach fourth grade. She’s proud to see her
Susan Torres [00:08:57] former students in full cap and gown. This was their foundation here at Dawson and that we hope that we provided them with a solid foundation when we sent them off to middle school and into high school. But seeing them come back here and walk our holes. I mean, that’s just like so rewarding for us as teachers. Almost 80%
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:09:13] of the population Dawson serves is economically disadvantaged. Almost 70% are considered at risk. Torres says senior walks are an opportunity for elementary students to feel inspired and know that they can graduate from high school. I do think.
Susan Torres [00:09:30] Very needed, very much needed, and especially the school that we work in and the population that we mostly serve here. And so I just think that it’s something that they can aspire to.
Emmanuel Ocampo [00:09:42] You know what else for you, Sam?
Beverly Acosta [00:09:44] Yes, Ms. Ferguson, I remember.
Emmanuel Ocampo [00:09:47] There’s some of the first days of school. Miss O’Dwyer over here.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:09:52] As Ocampo walked the school, memories came rushing back. He remembered the classroom where he learned how to draw a star and the carpeted area where kids used to play. He remembered stealing quarters from his uncle to buy stickers at the school and trade them with his friends. Some of his first memories happened in these hallways.
Emmanuel Ocampo [00:10:10] Ms. O’Dwyer was kindergarten because then I remember, I remember the harsh truth that there was no nap time in kindergarten.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:10:17] That’s a very harsh truth.
Emmanuel Ocampo [00:10:19] It was terrible. That was like the worst part of going to kindergarten, realizing there was no nap time. I think I cried in my mom’s arms.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:10:27] While he learned some harsh truths in Dawson, Okampo also had teachers who supported him and helped him feel like he could tackle anything.
Emmanuel Ocampo [00:10:34] This is like when our brains are the most malleable, you know what I mean? Our brains are most mushy, most impressionable. So I think, you know, any environment where a little kid is brought up is important for, you now, who they become in the future.
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:10:51] Overall, Torres says this senior walk is a nostalgic and bittersweet moment.
Susan Torres [00:10:55] The Dawson community. Our doors are closing. This will be our last graduating class that we’ll get to see and that we will get to be a part of even just seeing our littles knowing we’re not going to see them go from even like kindergarten all the way through fifth grade and then leave us and then come back and visit us sometimes. You know we’re just going to be scattered and that’s kind of really sad to think we’re going to possibly see these kids anymore and so it’s just really sad. Tora says future seniors
Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vasquez [00:11:20] might still be able to come to Dawson and see it from the outside, but there won’t be anybody to cheer for them or younger kids to inspire. They won’t get that full circle moment.
Jerry Quijano [00:11:41] More than 50,000 acres in the far western hill country will soon become one of the biggest state parks in Texas. The state’s Parks and Wildlife Department announced this week the acquisition of the parkland, which stretches through Edwards and Kinney counties about 150 miles west of San Antonio. Silver Lake State Park will be the second largest in the state behind Big Bend Ranch. The newly acquired land has canyons, hills, and miles of frontage along the West N’ This is River. It also has a 30-acre spring-fed silver lake, that’s the park’s namesake. TPWD says next steps will include collecting public input on how to develop recreational opportunities on the land. Hasn’t yet announced an opening date, but we’ll let you know right here on Austin Signal. We’ll be back after a break. This is Austin Signal, welcome back. The KUTX Artist of the Month for May 2026 is as gifted a performer as he is a vocalist, and he’s pretty darn good at both of them. Angel Estrada is his name, but he is EddieAngel, and if you’ve spent any time listening to KUTx lately, you’ve certainly heard his song Paiasol, which will be featured in his upcoming EP Chicano Blues, which will out everywhere on June 18th. Eddie is with us now on Austin Signal. Thank you for being here.
Angel Estrada [00:12:59] Thank you so much for having me. I’m so excited.
Jerry Quijano [00:13:01] We are excited to talk with you. We have been hearing your music a lot on KU-TX lately, but perhaps there’s a listener out there who hasn’t heard you yet. Tell us a little bit about your sound and you as an artist.
Angel Estrada [00:13:11] Yeah, for sure. Well, I grew up in South Austin and a big influence for my music is kind of harkening back to like an older time, but kind of putting my own little spin on it. Big fan of R&B and soul and kind of mixing it with like newer genres and a little splash of rock, a little slash of alternative stuff. So I just pulled from the places I love and growing up in Austin. Full of so many different genres. It’s just kind of hard for me to be like fitting in one box.
Jerry Quijano [00:13:48] The soul is really the vibe that I get whenever I see you perform. Speaking of those oldies, who in your life influenced you? Who had you listening to oldies?
Angel Estrada [00:13:58] For sure, my dad. My dad is like a huge, huge music head and put me on all the girlies. You know, Aretha, Whitney, Donna, like, and he’s just a big fan of music. So he really put me onto like all types of music and I’m grateful that he did because it just allowed me to really appreciate all types of art.
Jerry Quijano [00:14:47] Yeah, and I know that you performed recently as part of a Prince Tribute, so it’s really cool to be able to see you do all different kinds of genres, and you mentioned growing up here in South Austin, was live music, scene music, being around music part of your life growing up?
Angel Estrada [00:15:01] Absolutely, absolutely. My dad was in a rockabilly band growing up. Oh, really? Yeah, like I’m also from El Paso too, like that’s where my dad’s from. So he had a band called the Star Mountain Dreamers out there and he was kind of mixing rockabillies with Spanish music. It’s just kind of like weird because that’s kind of what I’m doing now with my music that I love. And so I feel like it’s really special and kind of full circle because he moved out here and started playing with like a couple of the musicians and was in a group called the Monadón Juans. Um, and so I just grew up seeing him perform and seeing him write and, you know, reading his journals and seeing how he would compose. And he’s not like an insane musician, but my dad is a really awesome performer and like just always inspired me growing up seeing him and all the other musicians that he was around. Um, And he still doing stuff like to this day, randomly playing like rockabilly festivals and stuff like that. So, um, yeah, I’ve always had that, um around me growing up end. My parents were those people who would take us to a bunch of shows around Austin, because there’s just stuff to do here like that.
Jerry Quijano [00:16:02] Yeah, that’s very cool. You mentioned you are a musician. I’ve seen you play guitar a little bit during your shows, but you are an amazing performer. You really have a feel for the crowd. The crowd is kind of in the palm of your hands whenever you’re performing. What kind of joy do you get out of performing?
Angel Estrada [00:16:21] I love living it all on the stage. That’s my favorite place to be. Um, and yeah, I mean, singing is really my primary instrument and being a vocalist is something I’ve trained like at UT to doing that. Um, like that was what I studied. And so, yeah, yeah. I went to B-Song Butler for a school of music and, um, my primary instrument was voice. So I wasn’t trying to go to the opera, but it was really cool to like hone in, um being a vocallist and like training. It was really hard to sing that type of music and like learn that type of music, but I really got a better grasp of how to control my voice. And, um, yeah, I mean, all the instruments that have come into my life, came into my little bit later, but I’ve always been singing and performing since I was young.
EddieAngel [00:17:06] I walk up in his face like I know it’s good Spread it around like I’m sure I know you love my energy I know your wanna take the main Don’t try to fight it boy, just let it take you away It’s gonna make you want it It’s gonna have you wanting more
Angel Estrada [00:17:35] Yeah, it’s just a special, special place to be on stage and just like, you know, express myself in that way. I don’t cry much, but I feel like I leave it all out on the stage, you know, that’s where I let it all out.
Jerry Quijano [00:17:49] Absolutely and you can really feel it when you’re on the stage and the new project that’s coming up that is Chicano bluesy or upcoming EP Tell us a little bit about it
Angel Estrada [00:17:57] Yeah, for sure. It’s definitely one of my favorite things I’ve ever made and I made it with a lot of friends and a lot of people I’ve met through the scene these past couple of years. I learned a lot since my last project. So it’s definitely inspired by what I grew up listening to. So a lot oldies and kind of experimenting with some newer kind of like sounds. And then a lot of it’s written in Spanish too. I have like about three songs that are in Spanish. So that was really fun to explore that part of like writing because I’ve always, you know, written songs, but I feel like I’ve gotten so much better at Spanish over the years too. I’ve had a better grasp of it. And also when I moved here, it was hard to keep up with it in Austin. But with this next project, I was just like, I really want to try and like kind of tap into that side of like songwriting. Yeah. It feels special to feel like, oh cool, I can really start exploring that more.
EddieAngel [00:19:20] Ya no más trucos y ya no más I’m a clown, I’m clown, a clown
Jerry Quijano [00:20:13] Do you feel like you’re getting better at writing in Spanish?
Angel Estrada [00:20:16] I think so. I think it takes time and I think, you know, my first thing off the EP Biasal was I really dove into it and I got some help from my dad and I wrote it with Midnight Navy which was really, really special and cool to do with him. So he was fixing all my little grammatical errors and stuff. But once you catch the vibe, it’s like, alright, we can make it work. So yeah, I definitely feel like it’s a nice launching pad into exploring that part of my songwritings.
Jerry Quijano [00:20:45] That’s wonderful. Everybody needs an editor, you know, that I cannot stress that enough. I have great editors. And yeah, I really like I remember hearing by also on KUTX for the first time. Definitely the Spanish caught my attention, you know, but then it’s going back between Spanish and English. It’s just sounds like a conversation I would hear growing up in my family. So I always really enjoyed that. So you’ve had by also it came out a few months ago. You had a new single last month, I believe Angel Dust. So what else is coming out this summer?
Angel Estrada [00:21:14] Yes, for sure. Chicano Blues, my new EP, is going to be coming out June 18th and we’re going to celebrating at 29th Ballroom on June 18 as well with Como Las Movies, UV, and Yerbita Malita as a DJ and it’s going to really, really fun with the whole community pulling up because I feel like this project is, you know, paying homage to my culture and, you, know, bringing all the work out. You know, it’s just like how I grew up and like, you know, I’m excited to just. Bring all these people together to celebrate something that’s taken a long time to put together. And also here at this project, like it’s really, really, like I’ve never been prouder of anything.
Jerry Quijano [00:21:55] Very cool. Well, before we get out of here, I want to have one last question for you. Reyna Sevilla is our technical director. I understand that she worked with you to produce some of the songs and sounds like you work with a lot of other people that you’ve grown up with in the scene. How important is that to you to kind of continue to uplift your community as you’re kind of experiencing this rise as your own artist?
Angel Estrada [00:22:16] It’s everything. It’s so important and I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t able to bring my best friends along the way and I hope to continue doing that with the more musician friends that I make along the way because that’s how my best work is made. I just want all of us to continue to make art together and that’s such an awesome thing to do. It has always been DIY, it’s always been very community based.
EddieAngel [00:22:44] And tell me how much you love me Don’t try to find it boy Just let it take you away He’s gonna make you fall
Angel Estrada [00:23:05] It’s special, so I just like I want to continue to do that as much as I can and you know we’ve gone this far just doing our best so I’m excited to see what the future holds.
Jerry Quijano [00:23:16] The sky is the limit, so keep soaring. Enjoy it while it is happening. We have been speaking with Eddie Angel. He is the KUTX Artist of the Month. Eddie, thank you for your time.
EddieAngel [00:23:25] Thank you so much. Oh
Jerry Quijano [00:23:37] And that is music from EddieAngel’s studio on a performance. Keep your eyes out for that video. Coming soon on KUTX’s YouTube page. That is it for us today. More about today’s stories and the podcast show notes in at KUT.org slash Signal. We’ll be back tomorrow, same time. This is Austin Signal.
This transcript was transcribed by AI, and lightly edited by a human. Accuracy may vary. This text may be revised in the future.
