Politics
Texas Governor Says ‘Stay Tuned’ For Action On Hemp THC Products That Could Be ‘Happening Soon’
The Republican governor of Texas says people should “stay tuned” on future action to regulate hemp products containing THC after the legislature failed to address the issue this year.
Without going into details, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signaled on Friday that the issue isn’t going away—even after lawmakers were unable to pass legislation to address intoxicating hemp products during two consecutive special sessions he convened this summer.
The governor hasn’t been a proponent of an outright ban that some Republican lawmakers have pushed, and has instead called for a regulatory model focused on age limits and public health. Abbott went so far as to veto a ban bill during the regular session, and so it remains to be seen what type of forthcoming action he’s expecting to see.
“I would say stay tuned on that,” the governor said with a grin on Friday when asked by a reporter whether he was willing to wait until the next regular session in 2027 to address the issue or if he might instead convene another special session early next year. “Something might be happening soon.”
The primary reason for the special sessions was to pass an electoral redistricting bill that would likely benefit conservative candidates. But both times, measures were also filed to prohibit hemp with any quantifiable amount of THC, which industry stakeholders have said would effectively eradicate the market.
Last month—shortly after the governor signed a proclamation to convene a second special legislative session—the Senate passed the hemp ban measure again, sending it back to the House. The prior version didn’t advance in the chamber, due in large part to the fact that many Democrats left the state to prevent a quorum that would be necessary to pass a redistricting measure.
Abbott vetoed an earlier version of the controversial proposal that passed during this year’s regular session, and he more recently outlined what he’d like to see in a revised version of the bill.
Some, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) and Senate bill sponsor Perry, have insisted that an outright ban is a public safety imperative to rid the state of intoxicating products that have proliferated since the crop was federally legalized in 2018. Others say the legislature should instead enact regulations for the market to prevent youth access while still allowing adults 21 and older to access the products and preserving the massive industry.
During the first special session, Rep. Nicole Collier (D) introduced a one-page bill, HB 42, designed to protect consumers in the state from criminal charges if what they believed was a legal hemp product turned out to contain excessive amounts of THC, making it illegal marijuana. It would prevent the criminalization of someone found in possession of a product that’s labeled as hemp but is determined to contain “a controlled substance or marihuana.”
In order for the person to obtain the legal protection, the product would need to have been purchased “from a retailer the person reasonably believed was authorized to sell a consumable hemp product.”
Another bill—HB 195, introduced by Rep. Jessica González (D)—would legalize marijuana for people 21 and older, allowing possession of up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, with no more than 15 grams of that amount being in concentrated form.
Yet another proposal would order state officials to conduct a study on testing for THC intoxication.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has separately taken steps to implement medical cannabis expansion with proposed rules to let physicians recommend new qualifying conditions for cannabis and create standards for allowable inhalation devices.
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As for what Texans themselves want to see from their representatives, proponents of reining in the largely unregulated intoxicating hemp industry in Texas shared new polling data indicating that majorities of respondents from both major political parties support outlawing synthetic cannabinoids, such as delta-8 THC.
The survey also found that respondents would rather obtain therapeutic cannabis products through a state-licensed medical marijuana program than from a “smoke shop selling unregulated and untested hemp.”
Ahead of the governor’s veto in June of SB 3—the earlier hemp product ban—advocates and stakeholders had delivered more than 100,000 petition signatures asking Abbott to reject the measure. Critics argued that the industry—which employs an estimated 53,000 people—would be decimated if the measure became law.
Image element courtesy of AnonMoos.
