Texas Governor Greg Abbott vetoes THC ban bill. Here’s what comes next

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a bill banning THC products late Sunday, calling lawmakers back to Austin later this summer to take a regulatory approach over prohibition.

The bill, a priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would have barred and penalized the distribution or purchase of consumable hemp products that contain any cannabinoid other than CBD or CBG, which do not produce a high. It carves out an exception for Texas’ medical marijuana program, which was expanded this session and approved by Abbott.

In a statement, Abbott called Senate Bill 3 “well-intentioned,” but said it would have been tied up in court for years.

“Texans on each side of the Senate Bill 3 debate raise serious concerns. But one thing is clear — to ensure the highest level of safety for minors, as well as for adults, who obtain a product more dangerous than what the expected, Texas must strongly regulation hemp, and it must to so immediately.”

Since the legalization of hemp in Texas and the U.S., there’s been a rise in the THC products, like delta-8 and delta-9 gummies, vapes and drinks, that can produce a high. Supporters of the ban said the products are unsafe. Others pushed for a regulatory approach over prohibition.

Hemp and marijuana are both forms of cannabis, but legally marijuana has a delta-9 THC concentration above 0.3% by dry weight. Products below that are legal hemp.

Members of the hemp business community urged Abbott to veto Senate Bill 3 during a news conference on June 2.

“Texas is standing at a critical crossroads, not just for Texas hemp industry, but for the individual rights of all Texans, entrepreneurs, farmers, small businesses and consumers,” said Mark Bordas, the executive director of the Texas Hemp Business Council. “Thankfully, there’s one stop left in the legislative process and that is with the CEO of our state, Gov. Greg Abbott.”

Lawmakers will head back to Austin on July 21 for a special legislative session on several issues, including regulating consumable hemp products that contain THC.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: Gov. Greg Abbott wants to ‘legalize marijuana’

In a statement explaining why he vetoed Senate Bill 3, Abbott outlined industry regulations he supports, such as making it a crime to sell the products to minors, restricting hours the products can be sold and limiting the ability to sell the products near churches, schools and other places frequented by children.

Patrick blasted the veto in a Monday, June 23 news conference.

“What governor Abbott proposes is for us to legalize marijuana in Texas by regulating it,” Patrick said, responding to points from Abbott’s veto statement.

The best way to protect minors and adults is to ban the product, Patrick said. He raised concerns about the state lacking enough law enforcement to regulate the products and challenged Abbott’s assertions about legal challenges blocking the legislation from taking effect. At least one lawsuit has already been filed in response to Senate Bill 3.

“Since when do we care who sued us when we passed the bill?” Patrick said.

Abbott had previously indicated he’d sign the legislation, Patrick said.

“I’m not mad at the governor, but I’m not going to legalize marijuana in Texas, and if people want to vote me out of office for that, so be it,” Patrick said.

The veto puts the Legislature “in a box” and in a “very bad position,” Patrick said.

If the Legislature does nothing, the status quo continues, until a law can be passed, which would be “devastating to families,” Patrick said.

“Or, we have to capitulate and vote for the lesser of two really bad evils,” Patrick said.

Asked about Patrick’s news conference remarks, a spokesperson for Abbott repeated the governor’s point that that Senate Bill 3 was “well intentioned” but had legal shortcomings.

“Governor Abbott has always shared the Lieutenant Governor’s desire to ensure that THC products are not sold to our children and that the dangerous synthetic drugs that we have seen recently are banned,” Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said. “SB 3 was well intentioned but legally flawed and this is why he is putting it on the special session agenda so that it can be fixed, improved and signed into law. We should not risk years of potential legal battles when we can fix the bill and protect kids now. Governor Abbott looks forward to working with the legislature to pass a strong bill that is on sound legal footing.”

North Texas hemp businesses react to veto, what’s next

On Monday morning, Asad Shalami, owner of ZAR Wellness, a hemp product dispensary with 18 locations across Texas, celebrated Abbott’s veto on a video call with his employees.

Shalami said there was a sense of relief among staff members, many of whom feared for their livelihoods while the THC ban was pending. Shalami, whose business primarily caters to people seeking relief from physical pain and mental health issues, was also happy for his clients.

“It’s life or death for some folks,” he said. “If this was not vetoed, some would go back to the black market, risking a lot to do that. This has definitely has been positive news for us.”

Abbott said Senate Bill 3 would have made “felons” of innocent Texans, “like pharmacists stocking health supplements, veterans treating PTSD, and parents caring for epileptic children with FDA-approved medications.”

Possessing any amount of THC, he said, would have resulted in criminal penalties “despite federal law saying ‘No State ... shall prohibit’ the transportation of hemp products.”

Abbott signed 1,155 bills into law and vetoed 26 bills.

As for what will come of the special session, Shalami said he’s expecting tighter controls on hemp products and retailers.

“The governor has called for a special session to put some restrictions and parameters around this industry, which we have been calling for since we started this business,” said Shalami. “If they can put some reasonable regulations and standards in place, we welcome that. We don’t know what that looks like yet from the state.”

Shalami said new regulations could mandate things like child-proof packaging on hemp products, as well as require third-party laboratory testing of products. These are things Shalami said he’s already doing, and he’s happy to see those rigorous standards applied to everyone manufacturing and selling products containing THC.

“People, unfortunately, have been running wild with it,” he said. “But we’re going to continue to treat this as more of a health thing.”

Summer Hanson, a registered nurse and co-owner of CBD House of Healing in Dallas said, like Shalami, she was relieved and optimistic about what the future holds for the hemp industry and her business after weeks of uncertainty.

“We were restless last night,” Hanson said of the hours leading up to Abbott’s veto. “That decision came at like ten til midnight or something. I had lost hope, honestly. I was not prepared for a veto. I reached out to my business partner in Abilene and said, ‘Am I reading this right?’ There was so much relief.”

While she is glad that she’ll be able to stay in business, Hanson is equally glad that freedom of choice won the day in this instance. She said it’s important that Texans have access to THC products, which she and others see as a viable alternative to pharmaceuticals for dealing with things like insomnia, depression, anxiety and chronic pain.

Hanson took issue with the way Patrick characterized the hemp industry in his press conference after the veto.

“It’s so offensive,” said Hanson. “He’s telling people that the majority of people in our industry are bad actors. I don’t think he’s stepped inside mom-and-pop shops like mine. That’s not the case for my business or the other businesses I know in this industry. He’s painting an ugly picture.”

This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 7:26 AM.