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Texas Governor Greg Abbott vetoed a bill that would have banned consumable hemp products with any traces of THC. The bill was opposed by hemp advocates, stakeholders, and veterans. Abbott also called a special legislative session and signed bills expanding the state's medical marijuana program and creating a research consortium for ibogaine.

Texas Governor Vetoes Bill To Ban Hemp Products With Any THC Following Forceful Pushback From Industry, Veterans And More

Jun 23, 2025

Staff

Marijuana Moment



The Republican governor of Texas has vetoed a bill that would have banned
consumable hemp products with any traces of THC that advocates and
stakeholders say would have decimated a growing industry in the state.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) rejected the legislation, SB 3 from Sen. Charles Perry
(R), on Sunday.

This comes after weeks of uncertainty around how the governor would
approach the bill, which was championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R)—with
Abbott repeatedly declining to comment after being asked by reporters and
saying he was overwhelmed with measures to review and hadn’t gotten to the
hemp proposal at the time.

Hemp advocates and stakeholders had delivered more than 100,000 petition
signatures asking Abbott to veto the measure. Critics of the bill argued
that the industry—which employs an estimated 53,000 people—would be
decimated if the measure became law.

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
also 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.

Patrick, the lieutenant governor, criticized Abbott’s move.

“His late-night veto, on an issue supported by 105 of 108 Republicans in
the legislature, strongly backed by law enforcement, many in the medical
and education communities, and the families who have seen their loved ones’
lives destroyed by these very dangerous drugs, leaves them feeling
abandoned,” he said on social media. “I feel especially bad for those who
testified and poured their hearts out on their tragic losses.”

Throughout the legislative session, @GregAbbott_TX remained totally silent
on Senate Bill 3, the bill that would have banned dangerous THC products in
Texas. His late-night veto, on an issue supported by 105 of 108 Republicans
in the legislature, strongly backed by law…

— Office of the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (@LtGovTX) June 23, 2025

Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, cheered the
governor’s veto.

“We are deeply grateful to Governor Abbott for listening to the people of
Texas and recognizing that regulation is a better approach to ensuring
public health safety,” she said in a press release on Sunday. “This is a
win for freedom and free markets.”

(Disclosure: Fazio supports Marijuana Moment’s work via a monthly Patreon
pledge.)

Abbott on Sunday also called a special session of a legislature to begin on
July 21, saying in a press release that SB 3 and other vetoed bills would
be placed on the agenda for further consideration.

Meanwhile, a recent survey from a GOP pollster affiliated with President
Donald Trump showed that Texas Democratic and Republican voters are unified
in their opposition to the hemp ban bill.

Another poll commissioned the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) found that Texas
Republican primary voters oppose the proposal.


*— Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug
policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon
supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps,
charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.*


*Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on
Patreon to get access. —*

Abbott separately signed a bill into law this month to create a
state-backed research consortium to conduct clinical trials on ibogaine as
a possible treatment for substance use disorders and other mental health
conditions. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop the psychedelic
into a prescription drug with federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approval, with the state retaining a portion of the profit.

On Saturday, the governor signed bill to significantly expand the state’s
medical marijuana program with new qualifying conditions additional product
forms and more dispensary locations.

The measure expands 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.

GOP Marijuana Banking Bill Sponsor Says He’s Not Thinking About Advancing
It Until The Fall Amid Competing Priorities

*Image element courtesy of AnonMoos.*

The post Texas Governor Vetoes Bill To Ban Hemp Products With Any THC
Following Forceful Pushback From Industry, Veterans And More appeared first
on Marijuana Moment.

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