Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that he supports banning intoxicating hemp products, appearing to walk back his calls last month for lawmakers to regulate the state’s burgeoning THC industry like it does for alcohol.
In interviews with media outlets, Abbott said he wants to keep non-intoxicating products available but ban those that produce a “high”, the chief target of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the state Senate and pushed a proposed ban this spring – which Abbott vetoed.
The governor said he now wants a 0.3% THC cap on any hemp-based products – or 3 milligrams for every gram of product.
“The only hemp product that’s going to be out there is non-intoxicating hemp, which is below 3 milligrams of THC,” Abbott told Impact News.
The state already has a 0.3% limit on Delta-9 THC concentration in hemp products. Delta-8 and other synthetically-derived strains are not currently subject to any threshold – meaning they can more easily be sold in quantities that produce a high.
Abbott said Tuesday that he wants to ban those synthetically-derived THC strains entirely, including Delta-8. Delta-9 products would only be available to adults over age 21, he said.
“We’re going to be protecting the lives of those who are under the age of 21 and we’re going to protect the liberty of those who are 21 and older,” Abbott said in an interview with Hearst Newspapers.
I mean, maybe don’t spring out of nowhere to veto a bill you had no known position on before then and instead develop a position that you can advocate for while the Lege is actively working on the issue? Was that too much to ask?
Maybe a better way to ask this is “Have you talked to Dan Patrick? How close to his position are you?” Because ol’ Danno is being completely on-brand.
Hope everyone is ready for another wild push by the Lt Governor to ban hemp. It’s going to move fast y’all #txlege
— Texas Cannabis Collective (@txcannaco) 4:53 PM – 21 July 2025
In today’s hearing on SB 5 – the latest, beefed-up version of the Texas THC ban – Sen. Charles Perry has made several eyebrow-raising statements. One being that he believes comparisons between cannabis and alcohol are “not debatable” because “they’ll both kill ya.”
— Taylor Kamnetz (@Taylor_Kamn) 12:23 PM – 22 July 2025
Our Director of People Jeannette drops the biggest truth bomb: we should be focused on flood response in the Hill Country right now instead of criminalizing hemp.
— Texas Cannabis Collective (@txcannaco) 3:09 PM – 22 July 2025
#SB5 the THC ban bill redux already voted out of committee.
But it’s still unenforceable
And it still misses loopholes.
And it still criminalizes even nonintoxicating hemp products #txlege
— Susan Hays (@hays4tx) 5:52 PM – 21 July 2025
You get the idea. There’s more from the hearing in this Trib story, along with Abbott continuing to be unclear on what he wants. Obviously, the special session has moved on to other things. But the original reason for it was because of the THC ban bill veto. Which maybe could have been avoided if Abbott hadn’t been so absent and conflict-avoidant during the regular session. But here we are now.
UPDATE: From the inbox:
The Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) today issued the following statement regarding the introduction of SB 5 during a special session of the 89th Texas Legislature:
“Some Texas lawmakers are once again ignoring the facts, the public and the governor.
“Despite Governor Abbott’s veto of SB 3 and overwhelming opposition from Texans, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Senator Charles Perry are now pushing SB 5, a reckless repeat that would ban federally legal hemp products, kill small businesses and criminalize responsible consumers, all under the false premise of public safety.
“Governor Abbott got it right the first time: banning hemp is bad policy and bad for Texas. His veto protected a $5.5 billion state industry that supports over 50,000 jobs and contributes $268 million in annual retail tax revenue.
“Texans have spoken loudly and clearly. With 150,000 petition signatures, 8,000 handwritten letters and three statewide polls, the message is the same: prohibition doesn’t work. What Texans want is smart, responsible regulation.
“That’s why THBC strongly supports HB 4242, a common-sense alternative that includes 21+ age limits, child-resistant packaging and setbacks from schools. It’s the right path forward for public safety, economic freedom and the future of hemp in Texas.”
That bill number must be a typo, as there’s no such bill for the special session. Be that as it may, have they checked with Abbott to see whether he supports whatever their preferred alternative is? Say what you will about Dan Patrick, he’s clear and vocal about what he wants. And unless Abbott pushes a vision of his own here, that’s all that we’re going to get from the Senate.
We should all hav3 seen this coming. Abbott realized his mistake was doing something decent for the citizens of this state. Can’t have that. Let’s have another session just to erode rights, just put the facade of focusing on disaster relief. What a bunch of shitty assholes.
Fuck Republicans
The two-headed Abbott/Patrick Hydra is correct – the State should ban certain THC products that have a 0.3% lever or higher ’cause that’s what get you high. It should also ban any alcoholic product, be it beer, wine, or distilled spirit product that is 30 proof or higher ’cause that’s what really gets you stinkin’ drunk (if consumed in quantity).
Good for goose, good for gander.