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The governor of Texas is detailing where he stands on a renewed push in the legislature to ban most consumable hemp products<\/a>, seemingly departing from a proposal that advanced through a Senate committee this week by calling for regulated access to low-THC hemp items for adults.<\/p>\n Gov. Greg Abbott (R) made headlines last month after vetoing a controversial hemp THC ban bill<\/a>, after which point he convened a special session with a mandate to legislators to take the issue, as well as others, back up. But advocates say a new measure from Sen. Charles Perry (R), SB 5, that cleared the Senate State Affairs Committee on Tuesday would effectively create the same prohibition the governor vetoed\u2014and it\u2019s moving quickly through the process.<\/p>\n Asked about the proposal, Abbott told FOX 4 on Tuesday that he stands \u201cin favor of doing all we can to protect the lives of our children, while also protecting the liberty of adults.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo the structure of what I\u2019m looking for is this, and that is, we must continue to criminalize marijuana in the state of Texas\u2014no change in the marijuana laws,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to ban THC, as well as hemp products, for children under the age of 21. We don\u2019t want them to be exposed to that.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the state needs to \u201cban synthetics that are laced onto hemp products that are extraordinarily dangerous.\u201d But once those safeguards are in place, the governor said \u201cwe need to have a highly regulated hemp industry to ensure that farmers are able to grow it, and that hemp products that do not have an intoxicating level of THC on it and can be sold in the marketplace for adults to be able to use.\u201d<\/p>\n This morning I sat down with Gov. @GregAbbott_TX<\/a>. He laid out what he is for and not for when it comes to a #THC<\/a> ban in Texas. We also talked about redistricting. You can see that later today on @FOX4<\/a> @FOX26Houston<\/a> @fox7austin<\/a> and also Sunday on TX The Issue Is. #txlege<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/wyLIC8VeKu<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Steven Dial (@StevenDialFox4) July 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n That\u2019s where there\u2019s some apparent splintering between what the governor is describing as his preference and what\u2019s moving through the Senate.<\/p>\n Abbott gave a somewhat confusing definition of what he\u2019d be comfortable with as far as allowable THC limits in hemp, saying there should be a \u201cthree percent\u201d or \u201cthree milligram\u201d cap, which is a meaningful difference. SB 5, on the other hand, would prohibit products with any quantifiable amount of THC or most other cannabinoids\u2014explicitly exempting CBD and CBG from the ban, but industry stakeholders say that\u2019s logistically unfeasible and would decimate the market.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be clear, with regard to adults\u2014again, with minors, no access to it at all. For adults, we do want the THC level to be below 3 percent, or we\u2019re doing it in milligrams, three milligrams of THC, and it\u2019s called non-intoxicating levels of hemp that would be marketed,\u201d Abbott said<\/a>. \u201cBut it would be a highly regulated system where, from the farmers to the wholesalers to the distributors to the retailers, there would be checks along the way to make sure that anybody involved in that entire system would not be able to be selling, transmitting, moving or involved in any hemp-based product that had more than three milligrams of hemp in it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt the same time, we want to make sure that there\u2019s strict enforcement. And so the only way we\u2019re going to be able to do this is through tough enforcement,\u201d he said. \u201cThe money for enforcement would would come from all the market participants, and we would create an enforcement structure like what we have in the alcohol system that would ensure that the [Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission] would be involved in the process to make sure this can be completely monitored, and there\u2019s going to be criminal consequences for anybody who violates these standards.\u201d<\/p>\n The interviewer pointed out that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who strongly advocated for the vetoed hemp ban bill and continues to support outright prohibition, believes the hemp market is too large to effectively regulate.<\/p>\n Abbott acknowledged that \u201cevery law enforcement official I\u2019ve talked to has said the same thing, and that is, they don\u2019t have the resources to regulate it\u2026 If they\u2019re measuring the hemp product not based upon the current methodology, 0.3 percent THC, but on the milligram basis, it\u2019s a whole lot easier to be able to measure it.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, that\u2019s not quite what SB 5 would accomplish\u2014and stakeholders are voicing concern about the expedited legislative process that it\u2019s moving through, urging supporters to contact their representatives and ask them to oppose the legislation.<\/p>\n \u201cEven after hours of compelling testimony, the Senate State Affairs committee voted unanimously to approve SB 5, advancing the bill to the Texas Senate for a vote,\u201d Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, said in an action alert on Wednesday.<\/p>\n She added that the Senate meets on Thursday and \u201ccould vote on SB 5.\u201d However, she added that once it reached the House, \u201crepresentatives are much more inclined to support regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n (Disclosure: Fazio supports Marijuana Moment\u2019s work via a\u00a0monthly Patreon pledge<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Separately, a spokesperson for the governor issued a statement that largely aligns with what Abbott described in the interview.<\/p>\n Regarding what Governor @GregAbbott_TX<\/a> is looking for regarding THC\u2026 This statement was sent to me from @Mahaleris<\/a> , Press Secretary for the Governor. #txlege<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9t8zqCaLvG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Chad Hasty (@ChadHastyRadio) July 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n \u201cGovernor Abbott has been clear that Texas must do all we can to protect the lives of children while protecting the liberty of adults. Hemp products should be banned for those under the age of 21, with a full ban on extraordinarily dangerous synthetic products,\u201d they said. \u201cAdults should be able to access heavily regulated, nonintoxicating levels of hemp, and there should be strict legal enforcement of hemp that exceeds 3.0 milligrams total THC per serving. The Governor will continue working with the legislature to establish a framework that meets those goals.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, response to questions from senators during Tuesday\u2019s Senate committee hearing, most law enforcement speakers said they supported an all-out ban on hemp products containing any THC rather than attempts at regulation. Some later added, however, that they felt the state\u2019s limited medical marijuana program, known as the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), should be expanded to ease access by patients\u2014especially military veterans\u2014who could benefit from therapeutic cannabis.<\/p>\n Notably, Abbott in June\u00a0signed a bill into law that expanded the state\u2019s list of medical cannabis qualifying conditions<\/a>, adding chronic pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Crohn\u2019s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases, while also allowing end-of-life patients in palliative or hospice care to use marijuana.<\/p>\n SB 5<\/a>\u00a0is among a small handful of bills introduced for the new special session to address consumable hemp products.<\/p>\n Among the other proposals are measures to require extensive product warning labels and limit how hemp products are packaged.<\/p>\n Abbott has\u00a0specifically asked lawmakers to prioritize hemp regulatory issues<\/a>\u00a0during the special session that kicked off on Monday. Two other newly introduced bills are HB 160 from Rep. Charlene Ward Johnson (D) and SB 39 from Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D).<\/p>\n The\u00a0former<\/a>\u00a0would require a number of warning labels to be carried on hemp products with any more than trace amounts of THC, cautioning that the products can cause \u201ccannabis poisoning that can be life-threatening to children,\u201d harm brain development in youth, increase \u201crisk of mental disorders like psychosis and schizophrenia\u201d and lead to anxiety, depression and substance abuse disorders.<\/p>\n SB 39<\/a>, meanwhile, would prohibit hemp products from being packaged or marketed \u201cin a manner attractive to children,\u201d limiting packaging shaped like humans, animals, fruit, cartoons or \u201canother shape that is attractive to minors\u201d as well as packaging that looks similar to legal products already marketed to children, for example candy or juice. It would also outlaw misleading product packaging. Violations would be a Class A misdemeanor, carrying up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.<\/p>\n Separately, last week 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\u00a0legal hemp product turned out to contain excessive amounts of THC<\/a>, making it illegal marijuana. It would prevent the criminalization of someone found in possession of a product that\u2019s labeled as hemp but is determined to contain \u201ca controlled substance or marihuana.\u201d<\/p>\n In order for the person to obtain the legal protection, the product would need to have been purchased \u201cfrom a retailer the person reasonably believed was authorized to sell a consumable hemp product.\u201d<\/p>\n The governor also said last month that rather than ban consumable hemp products outright, he wants to see lawmakers establish a regulatory framework that treats cannabinoids \u201csimilar to the way alcohol is regulated.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Lawmakers at Tuesday\u2019s hearing said that criminalization of possession would only kick in on a person\u2019s third offense, however that provision does not seem to be included in the current version of SB 5.<\/p>\n Ahead of the governor\u2019s recent veto of SB 3, hemp advocates and stakeholders had\u00a0delivered more than 100,000 petition signatures asking Abbott to reject the measure<\/a>. Critics of the bill argued that the industry\u2014which employs an estimated 53,000 people\u2014would be decimated if the measure became law.<\/p>\n Texas lawmakers legalized the sale of consumable hemp in 2019, following enactment of the 2018 federal Farm Bill, which legalized the plant nationwide. That led to an explosion of products\u2014including edibles, drinks, vape products and cured flower\u2014now sold by an estimated 8,000 retailers.<\/p>\n Military veterans advocates, including\u00a0Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars, also called on the governor to veto the hemp ban<\/a>, saying it \u201cwould cause irreversible harm to communities across the state.\u201d<\/p>\n Farmers said the prohibition would\u00a0devastate a key sector of the state\u2019s agriculture industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n Following his veto, Abbott proposed an extensive list of policy changes that he said he would support\u2014and which the legislature will have the chance to enact during the special session.<\/p>\n \u201cTexans on each side of the Senate Bill 3 debate raise serious concerns. But one thing is clear\u2014to ensure the highest level of safety for minors, as well as for adults, who obtain a product more dangerous than what they expected, Texas must strongly regulate hemp, and it must do so\u00a0immediately,<\/em>\u201d Abbott said.<\/p>\n Part of the rationale behind his veto was the risk of litigation over \u201cvalid constitutional challenges\u201d that he suggested would hold up in court. Multiple top Texas hemp companies had already filed a preemptive lawsuit challenging the legislation before the governor\u2019s veto.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I were to allow Senate Bill 3 to become law, its enforcement would be enjoined for years, leaving existing abuses unaddressed,\u201d Abbott said in his veto message. \u201cTexas cannot afford to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather than face the possibility of having the law enjoined, or indefinitely delayed, the governor said the state \u201cmust enact a regulatory framework that protects public safety, aligns with federal law, has a fully funded enforcement structure, and can take effect without delay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 Meanwhile, a recent survey from a GOP pollster affiliated with President Donald Trump showed that\u00a0Texas Democratic and Republican voters are unified in their opposition<\/a>\u00a0to the hemp ban bill.<\/p>\n Another poll commissioned the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) found that\u00a0Texas Republican primary voters oppose the proposal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Last month, the governor signed bill to\u00a0significantly expand the state\u2019s medical marijuana program<\/a>\u00a0with new qualifying conditions additional product forms and more dispensary locations.<\/p>\n Abbott separately signed a bill into law to\u00a0create a state-backed research consortium to conduct clinical trials on ibogaine<\/a>\u00a0as a possible treatment for substance use disorders and other mental health conditions. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop the psychedelic into a prescription drug with federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, with the state retaining a portion of the profit.<\/p>\n The measure expands the state\u2019s list of medical cannabis qualifying conditions to include chronic pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Crohn\u2019s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases, while also allowing end-of-life patients in palliative or hospice care to use marijuana.<\/p>\n Separately in Texas, a House committee approved a Senate-passed bill in May that would prohibit cities from\u00a0putting any citizen initiative on local ballots that would decriminalize marijuana<\/a>\u00a0or other controlled substances\u2014as several localities have already done despite lawsuits from the state attorney general.<\/p>\n Under the\u00a0proposal, state law would be amended to say that local entities \u201cmay not place an item on a ballot, including a municipal charter or charter amendment, that would provide that the local entity will not fully enforce\u201d state drug laws.<\/p>\n While several courts have\u00a0previously upheld local cannabis decriminalization laws<\/a>, an appellate court comprised of three conservative justices appointed by the governor has recently pushed back against two of those rulings, siding with the state in its legal challenge to the marijuana policy in\u00a0Austin<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0San Marcos<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the ongoing litigation and advancement of the House and Senate bills, Texas activists have their targets set on yet another city, Kyle, where\u00a0they hope put an initiative before voters to enact local marijuana reform<\/a>\u00a0at the ballot this coming November.<\/p>\n A recent poll found that\u00a0four in five Texas voters want to see marijuana legalized in some form<\/a>, and most also want to see regulations around cannabis relaxed.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Brendan Cleak.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Texas Governor Explains His New Stance On Hemp Products As Ban Quickly Advances In Special Legislative Session<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The governor of Texas is detailing where he stands on a renewed push in the legislature to ban most consumable hemp products, seemingly departing from a proposal that advanced through a Senate committee this week by calling for regulated access to low-THC hemp items for adults. Gov. Greg Abbott (R)Continue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":82384,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82383"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82383"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82385,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82383\/revisions\/82385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n\n
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\nRead More: Texas Governor Explains His New Stance On Hemp Products As Ban Quickly Advances In Special Legislative Session<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"