Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has unveiled a new legislative push aimed at banning all forms of consumable THC, the active compound in marijuana, in Texas.
Senate Bill 3, introduced by Patrick, seeks to outlaw THC products in all forms, including those derived from hemp, which have exploded in popularity since the 2019 passage of House Bill 1325.
Patrick’s recently published statement critiquing the regulation of THC in Texas focused on the dangers he believes are associated with the growing hemp market, particularly in products that he says are being sold without proper regulation.
Patrick’s criticism of the current regulation of THC across Texas centers on what he describes as “exploitative” sellers. These are different retailers that Patrick claims have taken advantage of the state’s hemp laws, passing off high-potency THC items as completely legal products.
He further claims that these businesses are putting children at risk, particularly with the rise of products designed to appeal to younger consumers.
“Since 2023, thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state, and many sell products, including beverages, that have three to four times the THC content that might be found in marijuana purchased from a drug dealer. Under Senate Bill 3, these products, and all forms of THC, will be banned in Texas,” Patrick claimed.
“Retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible. These stores not only sold to adults, but they targeted Texas children and exposed them to dangerous levels of THC,” Patrick added.
The proposed ban on THC products is likely to spark a heated debate in the Texas Legislature.
While many in the medical and law enforcement communities support tighter regulation of THC, others in the state’s growing cannabis and hemp industries could push back, arguing that the ban may undercut the potential for economic growth and new medicinal alternatives to “big pharma” in Texas.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Dallas voters recently approved Proposition R, which decriminalized the possession of up to 4 ounces of marijuana in the city. However, Attorney General Ken Paxton claims that passing these pro-cannabis initiatives at the city level violates overriding state law and has filed lawsuits against multiple other Texas cities that have passed similar propositions.
If passed, Senate Bill 3 would make Texas one of the first states in the nation to outlaw all THC products, a move that would likely send shockwaves through the growing cannabis and hemp industry.