The effort to ban THC products in Texas is officially dead in the water.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced on Wednesday that Senate Bill 6, which would have banned all hemp-derived THC products except CBD and CBQ, failed to advance during the special legislative session Gov. Greg Abbott called in June.
The bill passed in the state Senate, but crashed and burned when it was sent the the House Public Health Committee. “After long discussions last night between the Governor, Speaker, and me on THC, and continued hours of discussion today, we were not able to come to a resolution,” Patrick wrote in a post on X.
“My position remains unchanged; the Senate and I are for a total THC ban,” he added.
This marks the third time the Senate passed the bill only for it to die out in the House. Gov. Abbott opposed a full ban on the products, but advocated for more regulations.
After long discussions last night between the Governor, Speaker, and me on THC, and continued hours of discussion today, we were not able to come to a resolution. I appreciate the effort by Gov. @GregAbbott_TX to find a solution. I thank Speaker Dustin @Burrows4TX and Republican…
— Office of the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (@LtGovTX) September 4, 2025
Cannabis industry advocates celebrated the development, noting that it protects thousands of small businesses that sell the products. “The hemp industry remains committed to practical policies that support Texas businesses and economic prosperity — something the Legislature should remember,” Brian Swensen, executive director of the Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, told CBS News.
The Lone Star State legalized hemp in 2019 after Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized cannabis products with less than 0.3 percent of Delta-9 THC, which is the common type found in regular marijuana.
The Hemp/THC ban bill in Texas should die. No one wanted it except a few politicians. It appears to have been designed to assist the demands from beer distributors, TCUP, and other competitors. This is another instance of bad rent-seeking by private entities. Kill it! https://t.co/laY54GJspz
— Vance Ginn (@VanceGinn) September 4, 2025
Patrick claimed that stores selling these products were “targeting adults and children” and argued that they were putting “Texans in danger.”
However, most Texans weren’t buying it. Polling revealed that 47 percent of Republican primary voters opposed the ban while 37 percent supported it. A broader statewide poll found that 68 percent of all likely voters supported legalizing THC hemp products. Only 20 percent disagreed.
Write it down. We Texans have once again defeated the hemp thc ban in Texas. #txlege
— Texas Cannabis Collective (@txcannaco) September 4, 2025
This is a positive development. Millions of Americans — including veterans — used hemp-derived THC products to manage physical and psychological pain. The industry employs 50,000 Texans and generates $8 billion in sales, according to the Texas Hemp Business Council.
The bottom line is that if someone wants to light up at home after a hard day’s work, then it’s none of the government’s business. Moreover, there are already laws in place to prevent sales to minors. Liberty means that people should be allowed to choose what they consume. If they are not violating the rights of others, then the government needs to mind its own business.