Texas cannabis industry faces collapse as THC ban heads to governor's desk
Texas lawmakers passed a bill with bipartisan support to ban THC products in Texas, aruging they're too dangerous for consumers. Industry leaders say it could essentially eliminate a multi-billion dollar industry in the state. Both sides are waiting to see if Gov. Greg Abbott will sign or veto the bill. Ed Lavandera reports.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Don't give Dan Patrick his THC ban. Here's a better way for Texas on cannabis
Sometimes, the Texas Legislature creates a mess that only it can fix. And unfortunately, the clean-up is often a mess of its own. So it is with a bill that would ban products that contain THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. It's an attempt to right a loophole in the 2019 state law that allowed a Texas hemp industry to develop. But the medicine is simply too strong. Gov. Greg Abbott should veto the bill and give the Legislature the chance to try again with precise, thoughtful regulation. How did we get here, with lawmakers wanting to dismantle something they essentially created a few years ago? In 2019, Texas needed a law to comply with new federal statutes on hemp, the non-intoxicating version of the cannabis plant. Legislators charged ahead, missing the distinctions among the chemicals that can provide a high. They also failed to ask enough questions about testing, including whether police labs had the capacity to determine the level of THC in a product and thus the difference between hemp (legal) and marijuana (still illegal). Still, a business opportunity was born, and Texas, as our leaders like to say, is open for business. Responsible retail shops boomed, but so did unscrupulous producers who offered wares that enticed children and didn't distinguish between a professional who would demand ID or a convenience store where somnolent clerks wouldn't even notice who was buying gummies and the like. Enter Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Before some lawmakers could even settle in their offices, he declared that a complete ban on products containing THC was the only option. He suggested that he would not negotiate and that if he didn't get his way, he would melt down the whole legislative session. He never said exactly how, but Patrick, who controls all the levers in the Texas Senate, could have held back one of Abbott's priorities, such as school vouchers, or even prevent passage of the state budget, which would leave no option but a special session. Patrick was never willing to entertain the obvious solution: more precise regulation with more robust enforcement. Texas could allow for the sale of low-level THC products without embracing a full-blown marijuana culture. The experience of legalization in other states has been fraught with problems. There's increasing concern that today's much stronger, much more available marijuana is incapacitating too many people — as well as creating alarm about possible unknown long-term health consequences. Licensed dealers can sell well-tested products in packaging that's unappealing to children. The state could bar corner gas stations or other generalized stores and businesses within walking distance of schools from dealing in THC products. It could create an agency to regulate them, funded through a tax on the products, or create such a function within an existing state entity. In other words, it could treat the substance similar to the way it treats alcohol. We all know that even with a regime of rules and enforcement, teenagers sometimes drink. A few, tragically, even die as a result. Few people would say that's sufficient reason to ban beer and wine. Heck, they are venerated Texas industries. Patrick gave away the game when, late in the session, he declared that cannabis producers and retailers 'want to kill your kids, and they don't give a damn.' It's the kind of pompous, self-righteous rhetoric that Patrick frequently uses to substitute for actual debate. And if someone else made similar remarks about, say, the gun industry, Patrick would be the first to get in front of a Fox News camera and decry it. The lieutenant governor declared it 'stupid' to even raise the comparison to alcohol — though, to be fair, few are more familiar with stupid rhetoric than Patrick. Patrick did eventually agree to expanding the availability of medical marijuana under the state's Compassionate Use Program. If Abbott signs that bill — and he should — conditions such as traumatic brain injuries and chronic pain would be among those added to the list that qualifies a Texan to purchase THC products. The state would add more dispensaries, too. In other words, through specific, careful regulation, Texas is steadily finding ways to get needed relief to those who can find it nowhere else. Someone alert Patrick: It can be done! We love to hear from Texans with opinions on the news — and to publish those views in the Opinion section. • Letters should be no more than 150 words. • Writers should submit letters only once every 30 days. • Include your name, address (including city of residence), phone number and email address, so we can contact you if we have questions. You can submit a letter to the editor two ways: • Email letters@ (preferred). • Fill out this online form. Please note: Letters will be edited for style and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed. The best letters are focused on one topic.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas bill allocates $13M for animal spay and neutering services
The Brief The budget passed by the Texas Legislature allocates $13 million to a pilot program to spay and neuter cats and dogs. Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to approve this funding. This builds off of recently passed legislation, Senate Bill 1568, which created specialty license plates to fund animal sterilization. Texas lawmakers passed a budget that sets aside $13 million for animal spaying and neutering services in order to limit the spread of infectious diseases. If approved by the governor, the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) would lead a statewide pilot program over the next two years. What we know The program was created in an effort to reduce the prevalence of infectious diseases such as rabies, toxoplasmosis, and leptospirosis. These diseases, which can be transferred from animals to humans, can cause adverse side effects in people. What they're saying Shelby Bobosky, executive director of the Texas Humane Legislation Network (TLHN), said the pilot program is a crucial step forward in protecting both animals and people. "Shelters, veterinarians, and local communities have long struggled with limited resources to manage stray and feral animal populations," she said. "This funding is not only indispensable, but it also reflects a clear understanding by the Legislature that animal welfare is a vital part of our public health infrastructure." Bobosky believes the effort will help to tackle Texas' pet overpopulation problem while working to improve community health. The backstory The pilot program is a continuation of previous legislation the TLHN led: Senate Bill 1568, which passed on May 24, 2025. This bill, authored by State Senator Judith Zaffirini, a Democrat from South Texas, created specialty license plates to promote public participation in animal sterilization. The new license plates would include the phrase "Spray. Neuter. Adopt." The sales of this license plate would support the Animal Friendly Account to help fund programs and organizations that support animal sterilization in order to reduce stray populations. What's next If signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, the DSHS will begin forming the plans and procedures to implement the pilot program over the upcoming months. The TLHN plans to work with animal shelters, veterinary professionals, rescue organizations, and local municipalities to collect feedback to share with the DSHS. The Source This information was gathered from Texas Policy Research, as well as a news release sent by the Texas Humane Legislation Network.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Republican-Led House Committee Passes Bill To Ban Hemp Products With THC
Delta-8, which contains tetrahydrocannabinol, which the FDA says has not been evaluated or approved ... More "for safe use and may be marketed in ways that put the public health at risk," according to the federal government website, is being marketed in the mid-Atlantic area, including in stores like this one in downtown Baltimore on May 12, 2022. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) A Republican-led House committee has approved a spending bill that includes a measure to ban all hemp products with THC nationwide, a move that could upend the entire U.S. hemp industry. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies approved on June 5 the fiscal year 2026 spending proposal in a 9–7 vote, sending it to the full Committee. The bill covers a wide range of issues, including hemp. One section of the bill would, in fact, redefine hemp under federal law to ban cannabis products that contain any 'quantifiable' amount of THC or any other cannabinoids with similar effects or marketed as such on people or animals. The language used to define hemp is similar to an amendment to the new Farm Bill that was approved last year by the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. That amendment, proposed by Republican Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois, aimed to shut down the gray market for intoxicating hemp-derived products like delta-8 THC by closing the loophole created by the 2018 Farm Bill. However, it wasn't ultimately enacted by the last Congress. Still, the goal remains the same: to close the hemp loophole that's led to a flood of unregulated, intoxicating products being sold online and at gas stations nationwide, as emphasized by the Committee's press release. Specifically, the bill would redefine hemp to exclude any finished hemp products that contain cannabinoids not naturally produced by the plant, cannabinoids that are naturally occurring but were made or altered outside the plant, any quantifiable amount of THC or THCA, or other cannabinoids with similar effects on people or animals. It would also give the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to decide what counts as a 'quantifiable amount' of THC or similar cannabinoids. At the same time, industrial hemp grown for industrial purposes would be treated differently, signaling a significant change to the current hemp definition, which, under the 2018 Farm Bill, meant plants with no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight before harvest. Paula Savchenko, Esq., founding partner of Cannacore Group and PS Law Group, said that the proposed legislation, while maintaining the legal status of industrial hemp for purposes such as fiber, grain, and certain edible products intended for human consumption, 'would effectively ban the vast majority of hemp-derived cannabinoids,' adding that 'its future will depend on further deliberations in Congress and potential revisions during the legislative process.' The bill is now set for discussion and possible amendments before the full House Appropriations Committee on June 11. Hemp was legalized nationwide in 2018 with the Farm Bill, which set a limit of 0.3% THC for cannabis grown for industrial purposes. This was meant to keep hemp products from having the intoxicating effects of recreational cannabis, which remains illegal at the federal level. But the rise of hemp cannabinoid extraction opened the door to products containing intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids like delta-8 THC, which users say produces a similar high to traditional cannabis. These products are now widely sold in stores, gas stations, and online across the country. A 2022 study found they're especially popular in states that haven't legalized recreational cannabis. The gray legal status of hemp products with THC has stirred concern over both safety and regulation. Though technically legal under federal law, their effects closely mirror those of recreational cannabis, which is still banned at the federal level. That disconnect has left states scrambling, as businesses capitalize on a loophole in the Farm Bill to produce and sell these products with little oversight. The boom of hemp products with THC has, in fact, fueled what's expected to become a multi-billion dollar industry. But it has also pushed many states to step in with their own rules, some opting to regulate, others choosing outright bans. States like Minnesota, Iowa, and Kentucky have regulated products like delta-8 THC, while New York, Delaware, and Colorado, among other states, have banned them altogether. In recent months, Texas lawmakers have been trying to ban hemp products with THC. While states continue crafting their own rules on hemp products with THC, this federal bill could shut the entire market down by banning all such products nationwide and closing the loophole that allowed hemp products with THC to be sold legally under the 2018 Farm Bill. The move, however, has sparked a backlash from hemp industry associations. Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, said in a press statement that the group is 'deeply disappointed' with Rep. Andy Harris, Republican of Maryland, who chairs the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. Miller accused Harris of trying to 'shoehorn a farmer-crushing, job-killing hemp ban into a spending bill,' and expressed hope that the effort will fail, as it has in the past. Meanwhile, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is calling on lawmakers to reject proposed language that would redefine hemp in a way that bans any product with a 'quantifiable' amount of THC. The group warns that the ban on hemp products with THC would devastate legal businesses and drive demand toward the unregulated black market.
