Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick-backed legislation would ban THC sales in Texas
AUSTIN – THC would be banned from being sold in Texas stores under legislation supported by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Patrick announced Wednesday that Senate Bill 3, which will be considered during the upcoming legislative session, aims to ban all forms of consumable THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in the state.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, responds to concerns over thousands of stores selling unregulated, potentially dangerous THC products, Patrick said.
According to Patrick, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1325 in 2019, allowing the commercialization of hemp with trace amounts of Delta 9 THC, to support agriculture. Since then, retailers have used the law to sell high-THC products, targeting adults and children, Patrick said.
"Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible," Patrick said in a statement. "These stores not only sold to adults, but they targeted Texas children and exposed them to dangerous levels of THC."
Patrick said there has been a surge over the past two years in stores selling these products.
"Since 2023, thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state, and many sell products, including beverages, that have three to four times the THC content found in marijuana purchased from a drug dealer," Patrick said.
The goal of Senate Bill 3, Patrick said, is to prevent retailers from circumventing the law and ensure Texans' safety by removing unsafe THC products from the market.
"We are not going to allow these retailers to circumvent the law and put Texans' lives in danger," Patrick said. "This bill will have broad bipartisan support in the Senate, and I trust the House will also see the danger of these products and pass this bill with overwhelming support so it can become law immediately."
The 89th Texas Legislature is scheduled to begin on Jan. 14, 2025.
