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The Texas House will vote on an alternative, which would impose stricter oversight and licensing requirements for the hemp industry, rather than an outright THC ban.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate on Wednesday passed a state ban on all forms of THC, advancing a priority of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick to crack down on the state’s booming consumable hemp market six years after lawmakers inadvertently permitted its rise.
Current Texas law allows hemp-derived products that contain less than 0.3% of THC.
Senate Bill 3 would outlaw products with any amount of THC, including the popular Delta 8 and Delta 9 versions. From gummies and beverages to vapes and flower buds, THC products are currently sold at more than 8,300 locations around the state and online.
Patrick called SB 3 one of his “top five” bills over his 17 years in the Legislature.
“This is a poison in our public, and we as a Legislature — our No. 1 responsibility is life and death issues,” Patrick said at a morning news conference. He was joined by members of law enforcement and advocates for families who saw loved ones develop behavioral health problems after consuming supposedly legal THC products.
Patrick also had a message aimed directly at 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.”
“I believe this bill goes too far, in that it would put out of business the consumable hemp industry in Texas,” state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin said during the debate of the bill, arguing that concerns related to the sale of low-THC products should be addressed through stronger regulations.
SB 3 would continue to allow the non-intoxicating, non-psychoactive cannabidiol known as CBD, while placing firmer restrictions on those products — including barring sales and marketing to those under 21 and requiring “tamper-evident, child-resistant, and resealable” product packaging.
The vote on Wednesday was 24 to 7.
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