AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate passed a bill that would effectively ban all products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as THC, outside of the state’s medical marijuana program.

What You Need To Know

  • Texas Senate approves a ban on non-medical THC products

  • The ban is considered a top priority by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

  • The Texas Hemp Business Council warns of an $8 billion loss and 50,000 jobs at risk if the bill becomes law

  • The proposed bill now moves to the Texas House, where its fate is uncertain

It’s an issue that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has championed as one of his top 40 legislative priorities, and on Wednesday, the Senate voted 24 to 7 to pass Senate Bill 3 (SB 3).  

“Kids are getting poisoned today,” Patrick said ahead of the vote in the Senate. 

In the lead up to the 89th Legislature’s regular session, Patrick has promised to ban all non-medical marijuana products in the state. 

The legislation, if it is signed into law, would prohibit THC products while continuing to allow cannabidiol (CBD) product sales statewide. The proposed changes would tighten restrictions on CBD by prohibiting sales and marketing to those under 21 while also requiring secure, child-resistant packaging.

SB 3 author Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, told Spectrum News 1 earlier this month that he believes the hemp industry has exploited a 2019 law that he helped pass in order to sell highly potent and potentially unregulated THC products.

“The bill was intended to support farmers and promote an industrial hemp market and was designed to encourage the development of non-consumable hemp products like fiber,” he said.

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Lobbyists of the hemp industry have criticized this legislation saying it would negatively affect the Texas economy. The Texas Hemp Business Council has estimated that a THC ban would eliminate 50,000 jobs and $8 billion in sales in the state. 

Now, the bill heads to the Texas House, where it is expected to face some challenges. A similar bill was proposed in the last legislative session, and it stalled out in the state House. 

The Texas House has a different proposal on what to do with THC in the state. House Bill 28, which has yet to be considered, would impose stricter regulations and oversight on consumable hemp products rather than an out-right ban. 

If HB 28 passes, the two chambers would have to create a conference committee to reconcile the differences.