Nearly 150,000 signatures have been collected by an advocacy group dedicated to preserving access to legal hemp products, urging Governor Greg Abbott to veto Senate Bill 3, which would outlaw THC products made from hemp in Texas.
While non-intoxicating cannabinoids like CBD and CBG are permitted, SB 3 proposes to outlaw beverages containing Delta-8, Delta-9, and THC.
Greg Abbott, the governor, has not made it clear in public if he will sign or veto the bill. He has until June 22 to take action or let it become law without his signature.
“We respectfully urge Governor Abbott to listen to the people and veto this dangerous legislation,” the Texas Hemp Business Council’s executive director, Mark Bordas, stated in a briefing.
“There have been well over 200,000 Texans who have voiced their opposition to SB 3 via email, letter, petition, social media, and text,” Bordas stated.
The advocacy group reported on June 2 that it had personally delivered 5,000 handwritten letters and over 118,000 petition signatures to Abbott’s office.
“It didn’t work for alcohol in the 1920s, and it won’t work for hemp in 2025,” Bordas stated. “Texans do not want SB 3. Even among Republican primary voters — the very voters who shape the future of Texas politics — this bill is deeply unpopular.”
One of the most ardent supporters of SB 3, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, has attacked Texas retailers for taking advantage of a gap in agriculture law to sell unregulated, intoxicating THC products, which are frequently marketed to children.
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He hailed the bill’s passage by the Legislature as an important step toward enforcing a complete ban and safeguarding public safety.
The Texas Hemp Business Council claims that SB 3 could result in the loss of 53,000 jobs and $4.3 billion in yearly revenue, as well as an increase in the possibility of unregulated, dangerous products.
Additionally, the group pointed out that since 2019, Texas has enforced stringent hemp laws pertaining to THC limits, testing, licensing, and labeling.
THBC contends that lobbyists connected to the alcohol and marijuana monopolies are behind the prohibition of hemp, which is at odds with public health priorities.
A poll reveals opposition from GOP voters
Bordas referenced survey findings indicating:
- In Texas, 47% of Republican primary voters are against hemp product bans.
- 53% think that a prohibition would give drug cartels more power.
- According to 55%, it would boost sales on the black market.
- 72% are in favor of THC being made available to veterans as an opioid substitute.
