Ricky Williams got the Texas THC ban veto he wanted
Late Sunday night, and roughly an hour before the deadline for doing so, Abbott scrapped the bill. He also issued a lengthy explanation of the decision.
The move saved the hemp industry in Texas. Abbott reasoned that the bill would have caused farmers to choose between that which is legal under federal law (specifically, the 2018 Farm Bill) and that which would have become illegal under state law. He also explained that the law would have triggered a legal that 'would never go into effect' due to valid constitutional challenges.
Abbott also called a special session in July aimed at coming up with a solution to the situation that will better reflect current federal law.
Said Williams in opposition to the bill: 'This plant helped me stay balanced and healthy through the grind of professional football. Now it's helping veterans manage PTSD and families manage pain. These changes in the law don't protect Texans — it punishes them. The people of Texas deserve freedom of choice and don't need the government to tell them what they can and can't put in their body. If we have learned anything from the past decade it has been that.'
It was a very contentious issue among Texas politicians. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick argued aggressively for the bill, arguing that THC puts the lives and mental state of users in peril.
The Texas effort cuts against the current national mood regarding THC. It's permitted for medicinal reasons in more and more states, and recreational marijuana use has been permitted in 24 states and the District of Columbia.
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