The Austin American Statesman
If passed, a Texas bill could ban the sale of all THC products in the state, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Wednesday.
Patrick is launching an effort to pass Senate Bill 3, which would ban all forms of consumable tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from being sold, according to a news release from his office. As president of the Senate, Patrick has strong influence over which legislation is heard. The bill’s low number suggests it will be among the first to be debated in the next legislative session.
The commercialization of hemp products with trace amount of non-intoxicating Delta 9 THC was legalized by House Bill 1325, with the intention of strengthening Texas agriculture. The law allows the production, manufacture, retail sale, and inspection of industrial hemp crops and products in Texas, granted that they stay at 0.3% or less delta-9 THC level. This also includes products for consumable hemp products that contain cannabidiol (CBD), as well as other edible parts of the hemp plant.
Patrick now argues retailers used a loophole to sell dangerous products to adults and children alike.
“Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible. These stores not only sold to adults, but they targeted Texas children and exposed them to dangerous levels of THC,” Patrick’s statement says. “Since 2023, thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state, and many sell products, including beverages, that have three to four times the THC content which might be found in marijuana purchased from a drug dealer.”
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