Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has welcomed the bipartisan passage of Senate Bill 3, banning all forms of the intoxicating cannabinoid THC in Texas.
In December last year Lt. Gov. Patrick announced his support of Senator Charles Perry’s Senate Bill 3, blasting retailers exploiting loopholes to sell what he described as easily accessible life-threatening, unregulated forms of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to the public, including minors. The THC is primarily being derived from hemp, through the manipulation of another cannabinoid called CBD that is not intoxicating.
“These stores which often target children with their marketing have popped up across the state, threatening the safety of our communities,” said Lt. Gov. Patrick yesterday. “Today, the Texas Senate drew a line in the sand and passed SB 3 to ban all forms of intoxicating THC.”
The legislation passed in a 24-7 vote.
Under SB3, the retail sale of any cannabinoid in Texas, except CBD and CBG, is now banned. However, SB 3 does not alter Texas’ Compassionate Use Program (CUP), which allows qualified physicians to prescribe low-THC cannabis to certain qualifying patients.
Commenting on a related press conference held by the Lieutenant Governor, the Texas Cannabis Policy Center said:
“This press conference was nothing more than ‘Reefer Madness 2025. Fear-based legislation will not yield the intended results.”
The Center says the only way to protect consumers is to establish a legal, well-regulated market for safe cannabis products and accuses lawmakers of neglecting proper regulation and enforcement since legalizing hemp.
“This path will ensure consumer safety while curbing the rise of potentially unsafe alternatives.”
The Center believes the ban will not eliminate consumer demand; instead pushing people toward illicit products from other states.
The ban will see Texas’s cannabis industry take a huge hit with the market valued at around $8 billion in 2022, and supporting tens of thousands of jobs. The state’s coffers will take a hit too, through lost sales tax revenue and the millions of dollars it will cost to enforce the ban.
During the press conference, Lt. Gov. Patrick issued a clear warning to retailers:
“You might want to voluntarily close your doors because the investigations are going to continue, and I’m sure the lawsuits are about to come,” he warned. “You know what you’re doing.”
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