Texas Senate to Push Comprehensive Ban on THC Products in 2024 Legislative Session
12/13/2024
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced that the state Senate will prioritize a sweeping ban on all consumable tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products in the upcoming legislative session. The proposed measure, Senate Bill 3, underscores Patrick’s concerns about the state's burgeoning hemp market, which he claims has been exploited to sell unregulated and unsafe THC products.
The hemp industry in Texas has flourished since 2019, when lawmakers passed a bill allowing the sale of consumable hemp with trace amounts of delta-9 THC, the non-intoxicating compound found in cannabis. However, Patrick and other critics argue that loopholes in the law have allowed retailers to market products with higher levels of THC, including to minors. These products, which range from gummies and beverages to vapes and smokable flower buds, often exceed the 0.3% THC limit set by law, according to Patrick.
“Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible,” Patrick said in a statement. “Since 2023, thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state.”
Patrick further asserted that some THC-infused products contain three to four times the THC concentration found in illicit marijuana, posing significant health risks. Critics of the current hemp market echo these concerns, citing the absence of stringent testing, age restrictions, and regulatory oversight. They argue the proliferation of unregulated products has created public safety risks and disrupted medical cannabis access for patients.
State Sen. Charles Perry, a Lubbock Republican and the original sponsor of the 2019 hemp legislation, will carry the bill. Perry has expressed disappointment in how the law has been leveraged to create a thriving market for cannabis products that mimic the effects of marijuana.
The hemp industry has pushed back, arguing that banning delta-8 and delta-9 THC products would devastate Texas’ economy and eliminate thousands of jobs. Industry representatives claim the intoxicating effects of delta-8 THC are minimal and that further restrictions are unwarranted.
If passed, Senate Bill 3 would mark a significant shift in Texas’ cannabis policy. Despite the nationwide legalization of hemp in 2018, Texas remains one of the few states without broad marijuana legalization. The proposed ban on THC products would close the loopholes that fueled the state’s hemp boom while potentially upending a multimillion-dollar industry.
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The hemp industry in Texas has flourished since 2019, when lawmakers passed a bill allowing the sale of consumable hemp with trace amounts of delta-9 THC, the non-intoxicating compound found in cannabis. However, Patrick and other critics argue that loopholes in the law have allowed retailers to market products with higher levels of THC, including to minors. These products, which range from gummies and beverages to vapes and smokable flower buds, often exceed the 0.3% THC limit set by law, according to Patrick.
“Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible,” Patrick said in a statement. “Since 2023, thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state.”
Patrick further asserted that some THC-infused products contain three to four times the THC concentration found in illicit marijuana, posing significant health risks. Critics of the current hemp market echo these concerns, citing the absence of stringent testing, age restrictions, and regulatory oversight. They argue the proliferation of unregulated products has created public safety risks and disrupted medical cannabis access for patients.
State Sen. Charles Perry, a Lubbock Republican and the original sponsor of the 2019 hemp legislation, will carry the bill. Perry has expressed disappointment in how the law has been leveraged to create a thriving market for cannabis products that mimic the effects of marijuana.
The hemp industry has pushed back, arguing that banning delta-8 and delta-9 THC products would devastate Texas’ economy and eliminate thousands of jobs. Industry representatives claim the intoxicating effects of delta-8 THC are minimal and that further restrictions are unwarranted.
If passed, Senate Bill 3 would mark a significant shift in Texas’ cannabis policy. Despite the nationwide legalization of hemp in 2018, Texas remains one of the few states without broad marijuana legalization. The proposed ban on THC products would close the loopholes that fueled the state’s hemp boom while potentially upending a multimillion-dollar industry.
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