In a press conference held this week, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick continued to staunchly defend Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), legislation aimed at banning all consumable THC products in the state.
Patrick spoke to a room full of reporters about the bill’s intent to protect the overall health of Texans, particularly for minors in the Lone Star State, by cutting all access to THC products that have continued to grow in popularity since the state-wide legalization of hemp in 2019.
On a city-wide level, as previously covered by The Dallas Express, Dallas voters passed Proposition R in November of last year, making possession of under 4 ounces of marijuana the “lowest priority” for local law enforcement.
However, both efforts have continued to receive pushback from Patrick and other leaders like Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Paxton’s office has even sued a handful of municipalities for approving the relaxed laws on marijuana enforcement.
“This unconstitutional action by municipalities demonstrates why Texas must have a law to ‘follow the law.’ It’s quite simple: the legislature passes every law after a full debate on the issues, and we don’t allow cities the ability to create anarchy by picking and choosing the laws they enforce,” Paxton said in a press release published last year.
SB 3, which has passed both legislative chambers, now seeks to ban all forms of THC, including Delta-8 and Delta-9 variants, currently sold regularly in gas stations and “smoke shops,” while exempting “non-intoxicating” cannabinoids like CBD and CBG.
However, some details surrounding the bill seem to remain a bit cloudy.
The bill will also allegedly allow for the state to maintain and continue running its Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Program, allowing limited medical use of low-THC cannabis products. However, Patrick has not yet clarified if the bill will impact the application process for the program.
Critics argue that the ban could have significant economic repercussions, as previously reported by The Dallas Express, potentially dismantling Texas’s $8 billion hemp industry and cutting off nearly 50,000 jobs.
“If this ban is passed, it would criminalize both consumers as well as sellers/distributors. Businesses in Texas would have to stop selling these products altogether, which would likely result in a lot of businesses closing up shop altogether,” Ben Michael, an attorney at Michael & Associates, previously told DX.
“This would also likely mean that larger companies based in other states would be limited with where or who they could sell to, leading to potential legal battles. Consumers in Texas could also face fines or charges for buying these products, even if they are for medical purposes, because it seems as though the ban essentially has no exceptions,” Michael added.
Yet, Patrick seems deadset on pushing the ban forward.
“We cannot in good conscience leave Austin without banning THC, which is harming our children, and destroying Texans’ lives and families,” The Texas Lieutenant General declared via X.
Governor Greg Abbott has yet to say whether he will sign SB 3 into law. If enacted, the ban will take effect in September of this year.