AUSTIN, Texas — Supporters of Texas’ hemp industry are urging Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a statewide ban on consumable THC products sold at stores.
Senate Bill 3 was sent to the governor on Tuesday after it passed in the House and Senate. The bill would only allow sales of CBD and CBG, cannabis compounds that won’t get users high.
Since the Texas Legislature legalized hemp in 2019, it’s grown into a $8 billion industry. The Texas Hemp Business Council said a ban would put more than 50,000 jobs at risk.
Heather Fazio, the director of Texas Cannabis Policy Center, said on Tuesday that she’s optimistic the governor is taking the decision seriously.
“We know that he’s receiving phone calls, emails,” Fazio said. “There’s a petition that has almost 60,000 signatures just in the last week, calling on him to veto this bill.”
Fazio and other advocates tried to deliver a letter urging a veto of SB 3 to Abbott at the Texas State Capitol on Tuesday, but his public reception room was closed.
The group visited the offices of lawmakers who voted against the bill to drop off thank you cards. They also thanked State Rep. Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston) in person after crossing paths with him in the hallway.
Fazio believes regulation is the best path to safety. That’s the approach the House originally took, before reverting to a ban passed by the Senate after pressure from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
“This is a poison in our public,” Patrick said during a March 19 press conference.
Patrick had threatened to push for a special session if lawmakers did not pass a THC ban.
“The thing that’s the most surprising about this is that Lt. Gov. Patrick usually follows his political antenna, and on this, he did not,” said Scott Braddock, the editor of quorumreport.com. “We reported this at quorumreport.com: His own pollster found that only about 30% of Texas Republican voters agree with a full ban.”
Braddock said there are strong arguments for either outcome.
“This is jump ball, 50/50 chance on this,” Braddock said. “Abbott could sign this into law at the urging of Lt. Gov. Patrick, or he could veto it and he’d make a lot of the MAGA crowd, the Trump supporters, really happy because they don’t agree with a full ban.”
KVUE emailed Abbott’s office on Tuesday asking for his position on SB 3 and whether he plans to sign or veto it. The reply did not directly answer those questions.
“Gov. Abbott will thoughtfully review any legislation sent to his desk,” press secretary Andrew Mahaleris wrote.
Abbott has until June 22 to veto any bills passed during the 89th legislative session.
