Greg Abbott’s right on THC product veto. Texas deserves smart regulation | Opinion
Protect safety
I urge lawmakers to enact smart regulation on hemp-derived THC products. A ban would harm small businesses, farmers and responsible consumers, while failing to protect public health.
We already have a proven model: Texas alcohol laws. Clear age limits, childproof packaging, product testing and labeling can keep these products safe and out of minors’ hands.
Gov. Greg Abbott was right to veto Senate Bill 3 and call for a better path. (June 25, 1A, “Abbott vetoes THC product ban bill”) Bans drive products underground, but regulation ensures safety and accountability. Texans deserve laws that protect without punishing lawful commerce.
Let’s hope lawmakers use the special session to get this right.
- Kevin Irwin, Flower Mound
Follow facts
I wholeheartedly agree with Mark Davis that Gov. Greg Abbott’s veto of S.B. 3 betrayed not only the courageous leaders of his own party but the public health and safety of all Texans. (June 25, 11A, “Texas Gov. Abbott betrays Republicans with nonsensical THC-ban veto”)
Davis could have included the medical community as strong supporters of banning the addictive and brain-damaging chemical alphabet soup of THC products, which also threaten the Texas Compassionate Use Program. You can count the Texas Pediatric Society, Texas Medical Association, Texas Nurses Association, Texas Hospital Association and almost every important substance abuse prevention organization in the state among those disappointed by the governor’s decision.
Let’s hope Abbott allows wisdom to prevail in the special session and that our leaders follow scientific facts rather than the social media noise generated by a predatory industry.
- Matt Poling, College Station
Bigger threat
THC is a miracle drug that has changed my life for the better. Going after THC and not alcohol shows how misguided our current group of Republican leaders is. I will forever vote against them.
Alcohol is a drug as well, and it kills more innocent people in Texas than other substances.
- Elliott Hopson, Burleson
Skunk smell
Bud Kennedy seems to think that just because standards in this country are collapsing, we should make THC products available to all. (June 29, 1C, “A year in jail for a THC snack? Texans aren’t happy with Republicans”)
Pot is illegal in Texas, but as a motorcyclist, I smell it on the road everywhere. I’m a board member of a downtown condo complex, and we passed rules saying residents face heavy fines or removal if caught using. People who smoke marijuana reek of the substance, and that skunk smell destroys property values.
Making drugs and drug products legal reduces productivity in an already bad environment, not to mention raising the cost of health care.
- Bissell J. Smith, Fort Worth
Words matter
President Donald Trump’s assertion that the U.S. had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program through the June 21 airstrikes has sparked reactions both domestically and globally. While the administration claims that the strikes inflicted monumental damage, some lawmakers have expressed doubts about the long-term effects.
Could these bold declarations backfire? Could Trump’s megalomaniacal words encourage Iran to rebuild its capabilities covertly, outside the reach of international oversight? This triumphalist rhetoric might not only misrepresent the facts but also serve as a reminder that in geopolitics, words can be as consequential as actions.
- Leslie J. Smith, Grapevine