Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has announced his support for a measure to ban consumable THC—a psychoactive chemical compound found in cannabis—from being sold in Texas.
Senate Bill 3 aims to fix a loophole in Texas’ laws on marijuana and related products that permit the growing of hemp containing up to 0.3 percent delta-8 and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC.
The Texas Legislature first legalized the commercialization of hemp in 2019 to coincide with the federal government’s lift on the ban via the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.
“Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible,” argued Patrick. “These stores not only sold to adults, but they targeted Texas children and exposed them to dangerous levels of THC.”
According to Patrick, “thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state” since 2023. Many sell products with “three to four times the THC content” found in marijuana purchased from a drug dealer.
Patrick’s proposed measure will be carried by State Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who introduced the original 2019 law legalizing hemp in Texas.
In addition, the measure was given a low filing number, indicating that passing the measure will likely be a top priority for Senate lawmakers heading into 2025.
“We are not going to allow these retailers to circumvent the law and put Texans’ lives in danger,” continued Patrick. “This bill will have broad bipartisan support in the Senate, and I trust the House will also see the danger of these products and pass this bill with overwhelming support so it can become law immediately.”
Brady Gray, president of Texas Family Project, told Texas Scorecard that his organization was “very thankful for the continued work of the Texas Senate and the leadership of Lt. Governor Patrick” on the issue.
“SB 3 is yet another example of their commitment to defending children and families in Texas,” explained Gray. “The scourge of THC products being marketed and sold to young people in our state is inexcusable. We look forward to working with the legislature to see SB 3 become law for the betterment of our state.”
Federally, marijuana is designated as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it is classified as having a high abuse risk and lacking safe medical or recreational use. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD, PCP, and crack cocaine.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration began a series of hearings centered around rescheduling marijuana earlier this month, with more hearings planned to begin in January of next year.
The 89th Texas Legislature will begin on January 14, 2025.
