Texas Governor Refuses To Say Whether He’ll Sign Or Veto Hemp Ban Bill Amid Intense Pushback

The governor of Texas won’t say whether he plans to sign or veto a bill to outlaw
all consumable hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing any detectable
THC that was sent to his desk last week.

Amid intense pushback from the hemp industry, military veterans groups and
other stakeholders over the legislation from Sen. Charles Perry (R), Gov.
Greg Abbott (R) was asked during an unrelated bill signing ceremony on
Tuesday what he intends to do about the cannabis measure.

SB 3 “is one of literally more than a thousand bills on my desk—all of
which need my careful consideration and evaluation—and I will give all of
those pieces of legislation the consideration and time that they deserve,”
Abbott said, while sitting beside one of the measure’s most vocal
supporters, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R).

The comments came as hemp advocates and stakeholders delivered more than
100,000 petition signatures asking Abbott to veto the measure. Critics of
the bill have said the industry—which employs an estimated 53,000
people—would be decimated if the measure becomes law.

The governor has three options for the proposal: sign it, veto it or allow
it to take effect without his signature. The deadline for his decision is
June 22.

In a follow-up to Abbott, a reporter on Tuesday reframed his question to
ask how he feels about the current policy “as a dad,” but the governor
again declined to state his position, saying it was a “very nice twist of
the question,” but “you’re still not going to get an answer.”

Last month, a spokesperson for the governor similarly declined to disclose
Abbott’s plan for the bill, saying only that he “will thoughtfully review
any legislation sent to his desk.”

Texas lawmakers legalized the sale of consumable hemp in 2019, following
enactment of the 2018 federal Farm Bill, which legalized the plant
nationwide. That’s led to an explosion of products—including edibles,
drinks, vape products and cured flower—sold by an estimated 8,000 retailers.

Military veterans advocates, including Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars, have
called on the governor to veto the hemp ban, saying it “would cause
irreversible harm to communities across the state.”

Farmers have also said the prohibition would devastate a key sector of the
state’s agriculture industry.


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Last month, meanwhile, the Texas House passed a pair of bills designed to ensure
speedy access to psychedelic-assisted therapy in the event of FDA approval,
but they did not clear the Senate by the end of the session.

More recently, lawmakers over the weekend passed a bill to significantly
expand the state’s medical marijuana program, sending it to the governor.

Just days after the legislation from Rep. Ken King (R) advanced through the
Senate, with amendments that watered down the original House proposal,
bicameral negotiators worked out a compromise over the weekend and then
each chamber gave final approval on Sunday.

The final version of the bill—which cleared the House on a 138-1 vote and
the Senate by a vote of 31-0—would expand the state’s list of medical
cannabis qualifying conditions to include chronic pain, traumatic brain
injury (TBI), Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases, while
also allowing end-of-life patients in palliative or hospice care to use
marijuana.

Separately in Texas, a House committee approved a Senate-passed bill last
month that would prohibit cities from putting any citizen initiative on
local ballots that would decriminalize marijuana or other controlled
substances—as several localities have already done despite lawsuits from
the state attorney general.

Under the proposal, state law would be amended to say that local entities
“may not place an item on a ballot, including a municipal charter or
charter amendment, that would provide that the local entity will not fully
enforce” state drug laws.

While several courts have previously upheld local cannabis
decriminalization laws, an appellate court comprised of three conservative
justices appointed by the governor has recently pushed back against two of
those rulings, siding with the state in its legal challenge to the
marijuana policy in Austin and San Marcos.

Despite the ongoing litigation and advancement of the House and Senate
bills, Texas activists have their targets set on yet another city, Kyle,
where they hope put an initiative before voters to enact local marijuana
reform at the ballot this coming November.

A recent poll found that four in five Texas voters want to see marijuana
legalized in some form, and most also want to see regulations around
cannabis relaxed.

North Carolina Governor Backs Marijuana Legalization And Forms A Bipartisan
Commission To Craft A Plan

*Photo courtesy of Pixabay.*

The post Texas Governor Refuses To Say Whether He’ll Sign Or Veto Hemp Ban
Bill Amid Intense Pushback appeared first on Marijuana Moment.