Abbott Rejects Hemp Ban, Pushes for Strict Regulation Instead

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has doubled down on his opposition to banning hemp-derived THC products, choosing instead to push for tighter regulations to protect public safety without undermining the state’s hemp industry. Just two weeks after vetoing Senate Bill 3, which aimed to prohibit nearly all consumable hemp products, Abbott added two hemp-related items to a special legislative session agenda. “Hemp is a lawful agricultural commodity,” Abbott said. “Texas must strongly regulate hemp, and it must do so immediately.” 

Abbott’s stance puts him at odds with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a vocal supporter of the ban, who accused the governor of moving toward cannabis legalization. But Abbott argues that prohibition would trigger costly legal battles and devastate an industry employing over 50,000 Texans. 

In place of a ban, Abbott recommended a comprehensive list of regulations:

• Criminalizing sales to minors and banning sales near schools, churches, and playgrounds
  
• Requiring child-resistant packaging and banning products appealing to children
  
• Limiting THC potency and restricting psychoactive additives like kratom or alcohol
  
• Mandating testing throughout production and applying food safety rules to facilities
  
• Limiting store hours, requiring permits, QR-code-linked lab results, and warning labels
  
• Allowing local governments to regulate or ban stores and applying excise taxes to fund enforcement
  

“This list…may provide items to consider in a regulatory system that is strict, fair, and legally sustainable,” Abbott said.

Public opposition to the hemp ban spans party lines. A GOP pollster found that both Republicans and Democrats oppose it, and a Texas Hemp Business Council survey showed even Republican primary voters reject the idea.