‘Major disappointment and confusion’ among Texas retailers after bill banning THC
With the passage of Senate Bill 3, which bans the sale of consumable products containing any amount of THC, thousands of Texas smoke shops now find themselves in limbo, the future of their businesses dependent on whether Gov. Greg Abbott signs the bill into law, vetoes it or allows it to pass without his signature.
What are these products?
Following the legalization of hemp production in Texas in 2019, cannabis products containing less than 0.3% THC concentration flooded the marketplace in the form of things like edibles, beverages and vapes. These products are generally infused with delta-8, delta-9 or delta-10, cannabinoids that provide a psychoactive high similar to that of marijuana and are aimed at recreational users as well as those seeking therapeutic benefits related to conditions such as anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain.
Retailers speak out
Summer Hanson, a registered nurse and the co-owner of CBD House of Healing in Dallas, has built her business largely around THC’s medicinal uses. Now, Hanson said, there is “major disappointment and confusion” among retailers and customers as they await Abbott’s decision on Senate Bill 3.
Hanson has been following the bill’s progress closely, and she’s one of many in her industry who has urged the governor to quash the bill, though Abbott has yet to give an indication of what he’ll do.
“The reason I got into this as a nurse is because nursing is a trusted profession,” said Hanson, who offers consultations to help customers determine what type of THC products are appropriate for them.
“I use these products, I vouch for these products,” Hanson said, calling them a safer alternative to alcohol for recreational users and an alternative to medications like antidepressants for therapeutic users.
Asad Shalami, owner of ZAR Wellness, a dispensary with 18 locations across Texas, said the majority of his clients likewise come to him for healing, not to get high. He said ZAR serves approximately 100,000 customers in the state, a third of whom are, like Shalami, military veterans.
“They use premium ZAR products to get off opioids and harmful pharmaceuticals,” said Shalami. “We care about improving the daily quality of their lives. People want a natural alternative to pills to get relief from inflammation, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick strongly supports the ban
On May 28, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who pushed for the THC ban, celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 3 during a press conference. While standing behind a table displaying a range of THC-infused products, Patrick said, “This is all sold for kids, designed for kids and adults.”
At several other points in his remarks, Patrick alluded to cannabinoid products being marketed and sold to children.
“This is serious business,” he said, adding that his goal is to “save an entire generation” from drug addiction.
Hanson took issue with those comments, and she took issue with the suggestion by Patrick and others that THC products are by and large mislabeled or labeled in misleading ways.
Tomball Police Chief Jeff Bert, who appeared alongside Patrick at the press conference, referenced the products on the table and said: “I can’t tell you what’s in here. This right in front of you is a drug deal.”
“That’s a blatant lie,” countered Hanson. “We have labels that tell you exactly what’s in the product.”
Hanson said consumers can read or scan a QR code on her products’ labels to find out exactly how much THC they contain and get assurances that they don’t contain things like heavy metals and harmful chemicals.
Shalami uses the same type of labeling on his proprietary ZAR Wellness products, which he said are quality controlled “from seed to shelf.” He also provides his customers with third-party laboratory testing results for greater peace of mind.
THC products a danger to children?
As far as Patrick’s assertion that THC products are being marketed to kids, Hanson, a mother of two, said she believes the cannabinoid industry goes “above and beyond” when it comes to safeguards, like child-proof packaging.
“I have the same concerns about children and teens accessing these products,” she said, “just like I have concerns about children and teens accessing alcohol or sugar or laundry pods.”
Using THC should be a person’s right as an American, Hanson said, though she urged personal responsibility in exercising that right.
Hanson said in her home she treats THC products the same as she treats alcohol, pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter drugs, keeping them out of reach and out of sight of her kids.
Shalami agreed. “If you’re going to ban anything, ban cigarettes and alcohol,” he said, calling those far more dangerous than cannabinoid products.
But while Hanson and Shalami said they sell vetted and verified products only to adults, Shalami acknowledged that not all businesses do. He said there are “bad actors” out there that do sell THC-infused products like lollipops and candy with colorful packaging and flavors that are appealing to young people.
“A lot of smoke shops and vape shops, you go in there and it’s kind of a sensory overload,” he said.
In some cases, products contain more than the legal concentration of THC. In 2023, the Star-Telegram tested 11 products purchased at Fort Worth-area stores. Results showed that two of them possibly contained marijuana as opposed to legal cannabinoids like delta-8 or delta-9.
Shalami said he supports regulations to rid shelves of those kinds of products, as well as those that appeal to children, and he wants to see unlicensed retailers and those that sell to underage consumers shut down.
‘Cannabis is medicine, therefore it should be handled like medicine’
Retired Army Maj. David Bass is a longtime cannabis activist who has used THC since 2012 after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following a deployment to Iraq from 2004 to 2005.
Despite his activism, he applauded Patrick and others who fought for the passage of Senate Bill 3.
“The hemp industry is pushing these products to people as medicine, but they aren’t treating these products as medicine,” said Bass. “They’re treating these products as candy, treating these products like a recreational drug.”
Bass said THC has alleviated his PTSD symptoms, but he believes the wide availability of cannabinoid products is harmful.
“The industry has proven itself to be unreliable and untrustworthy,” said Bass. “I can go right down the street to the convenience store, and there’s a big glass case full of these products, and there’s no age limit on them.
“My argument is cannabis is medicine, therefore it should be handled like medicine.”
What’s next for retailers?
Neither Hanson nor Shalami wanted to speculate about the futures of their businesses should Senate Bill 3 become law in September. Both are still hopeful Abbott will veto the bill. If he doesn’t, they both said they would have some tough decisions to make, decisions that could affect dozens of employees and tens of thousands of customers.
The law would not affect retailers’ ability to sell products containing cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG), both of which are nonintoxicating cannabinoids.
Shalami is holding a press conference at the ZAR Welness location in The Colony at 12 p.m. June 3. He’ll have employees and customers there to speak out in support of THC in the hopes of swaying Abbott.
Therapeutic benefits aside, Shalami, like Hanson, said it comes down to people having the freedom to purchase and use the products they want.
“It’s that freedom that we so boast about as Americans and as Texans,” Shalami said.
Staff reporter Elly Dearman contributed to this story.
This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 4:59 PM.