TribCast: Is it high time to regulate or ban THC in Texas?
THC - to ban, or to regulate? That is the question of the session.
Eleanor talks with Texas Tribune politics reporter Jasper Scherer and Heather Fazio, with the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, about how we got here and why this issue is taking center stage this legislative session.
Watch the video above, or subscribe to the TribCast on iTunes, Spotify, or RSS. New episodes every Tuesday.
This week's episode is sponsored by the Safer Texas Alliance and the Beer Alliance of Texas.
Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
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Poll: Texas Republicans Oppose SB 3
Majority of Texans, Regardless of Party, Reject Ban on Hemp-Based ProductsOver Half of Texas GOP Primary Voters Fear Ban Will Empower Drug Cartels AUSTIN, Texas , June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Texas Republicans are more likely to oppose than support Senate Bill 3, the bill banning hemp-based products that is now awaiting a decision from Gov. Greg Abbott. A new poll shows that 47% of Texas Republican primary voters oppose banning hemp, while 37% support a ban and 16% said they don't know. It also shows that 45% oppose banning THC, while 35% support a THC ban and 21% don't know. Opposition to a ban is even stronger among those who have an active-duty or former member of the military in their household. Despite political claims to the contrary, Texas Republicans and Democrats do not support banning hemp-derived THC. They want it regulated, restricted to adults and away from minors. But they do not want prohibition. Two independent, statistically valid polls have now shown that bans like SB 3 are deeply unpopular, especially among the very voters who will determine the future of Republican leadership in Texas. Last week, the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) delivered 5,000 handwritten letters and a petition with more than 118,000 signatures to Governor Abbott, urging him to veto SB 3 and save the 53,000 Texas jobs connected to hemp. 'Texans do not want SB 3,' said Mark Bordas, executive director of THBC. 'Texans recognize SB 3 for what it is: an attack on the rights and liberties of Texans that will destroy tens of thousands of jobs. We respectfully ask the Governor to listen to veterans, small business owners, Republican primary voters and others who want him to veto this heavy-handed bill. We went out of our way to conduct the most credible poll possible, in which the segment of the voting population least likely to support our cause was queried. Even among Republican primary voters, SB 3 and its ban are highly unpopular. This is not a Republican or a Democrat issue — it's about preserving economic and individual freedoms, which all Texans cherish.' SB 3 would force Texans who use hemp-based products to seek those products through illicit, unsafe black markets. It will also create havoc and uncertainty for farmers, small business owners, and others who have devoted years of their careers to safe hemp-based poll was commissioned by THBC and conducted by respected Texas Republican pollster Chris Perkins of Ragnar Research Partners. It also found: More than two-thirds of Republican primary voters (72%) believe military veterans should be able to access THC products as an alternative to opioids. 53% of Republican primary voters believe a ban will create opportunities for drug cartels. 55% of Republican primary voters believe a ban will increase black market sales. The poll of Texas Republicans reinforces the message of a broader statewide poll conducted by Baselice & Associates in March: 68% of Texas likely voters support legal THC hemp products with strict regulations, while just 20% support a ban. Republican voters prefer regulated legality (57%) over prohibition (29%), and support climbs even higher among independents (72%) and younger voters (76%), the Baselice poll found. Seniors, too, reject prohibition by double-digit margins. 'These highly credible polls clearly show where voters stand, while some groups are pushing false and misleading narratives to support SB 3, hoping that more Texans would turn to alcohol if hemp-based products were banned,' added Bordas. 'Every month in Texas, nearly 90 lives are lost to alcohol-related crashes, over 1,000 each year. Nationwide, alcohol ranks among the leading preventable causes of death. Hemp products, which are already regulated at the state and federal levels, offer popular alternative that many Texans rely on. Our industry also continues to support additional safeguards, including banning sales to anyone under 21 and setbacks from schools. Texans deserve legal choices, not fear-driven policies that push them toward more dangerous substances.' The Ragnar Research Partners poll of 800 likely Republican primary voters was conducted June 2-4 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. About the Texas Hemp Business Council The Texas Hemp Business Council is an industry organization dedicated to promoting the hemp-based cannabinoid industry in Texas, while advocating for consumer safety, education and stakeholder engagement. More information is available at Media Contact: George Medici/Natalie MuPondelWilkinson or nmu@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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9 hours ago
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With Rick Perry's backing and $50 million from the state, Texas set to become a leader in psychedelics research
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'What is a right-wing anti-drug governor doing associated with psychedelics?' In 2006, Perry became close with Navy SEAL veteran Marcus Luttrell who struggled from a brain injury, PTSD and addiction, without access to effective treatments. He recalls Luttrell sleeping with the TV and lights on, trying to comfort his battered mind. When Luttrell told him he was planning to go to Mexico with several other veterans to try ibogaine, Perry was skeptical. 'I remember the first time he told me, and I looked at him the same way a dog does when they hear a funny noise. I remember telling him to be careful with that because I still had my beliefs on drugs at the time, but at the same time, people that I trusted were going to Mexico for this, I had to listen,' Perry said. The data was indisputable to Perry. He unequivocally believes ibogaine takes away addiction and he is ready to tell anyone who will ask him about it. He has since gone on to the Joe Rogan podcast to wax poetic about the drug and other psychedelic treatments. He is a scheduled speaker for a psychedelic conference in Denver. He is also planning to reach out to officials in Israel and Ukraine to initiate ibogaine treatment programs there. 'I have always been open to new knowledge. The same thing with criminal justice reform and in-state tuition, as a Republican, I have my beliefs, but I am willing to change them once looking at the data and science,' Perry said. Hubbard cautioned that ibogaine is not a drug to be taken without medical supervision and Texas is probably at least six years away from seeing any movement on FDA approval for clinical trials. However, he is hopeful that the drug qualifies for a Breakthrough Therapy designation, a pathway that accelerates the regulatory review of drugs showing early promise in treating severe conditions. As of June 30, 2024, the FDA has only granted 587 designations out of the 1,516 requested since 2012. Hubbard believes the current presidential administration will see the momentum in Texas and help expedite the process with the FDA. 'If Texas can create a treatment plan for ibogaine, it might be the most significant achievement in modern medicine for nearly a century,' said Hubbard. Disclosure: Rice University and Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! 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