Gov. Greg Abbott's was one of the most anticipated this year. Shortly before the midnight deadline, he struck down , which would have completely banned Texas sales of consumable hemp-based products containing THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis.
鈥淚 was just exuberant,鈥� said Dustin Goss, manager of World of Smoke & Vape in Fort Worth. 鈥淚 just got happy. It was just an amazing thing to hear.鈥�
More than 8,000 THC-related stores have opened across the state since 2019 after a federal farm bill legalized selling consumable hemp. The bill also created a loophole for other hemp-derived strains of THC 鈥� including Delta-8 鈥� that produce the 鈥渉igh鈥� associated with marijuana.
Since then, the hemp industry in Texas has accounted for about 50,000 jobs and generated $8 billion in tax revenue annually,
Eli Burton, who has been in the hemp industry for about six years, said he remembers watching the industry explode after Texas鈥� passed.
鈥淚t was it was a huge boost for our business at one point,鈥� Burton said. 鈥淚n the first three years I was here, this store's revenue doubled.鈥�
Burton, the owner of Artisan Vapor in Fort Worth, felt frustrated as SB3 passed through the Texas House and Senate 鈥� and was surprised with Abbott鈥檚 decision once it reached his desk.
鈥淚f the total prohibition had gone through, that destroys our company,鈥� Burton said. 鈥淚t destroys this store, probably a 60% loss in revenue here and across the board at our hundreds of other stores."
Burton, Goss and other business owners said they鈥檙e relieved Abbott vetoed the ban 鈥� and are now looking ahead to a special session this summer to further regulate the industry.
鈥淎t least for the next couple of months... I think that's still going to be a positive for the hemp industry,鈥� Goss said. 鈥淚 don't think that Greg Abbott can argue against an $8 billion industry.鈥�
In his veto proclamation Abbott called SB3 鈥渨ell intentioned,鈥� but said if he allowed it to go into law it would face 鈥渓egal attacks鈥� like a similar ban in Arkansas.
鈥淭exas needs a bill that is enforceable and will make our communities safer today, rather than years from now,鈥� the governor said.
Lawmakers are expected to return to the Capitol for a special session July 21 with consumable hemp regulation at the top of the agenda 鈥� something Alex Noriega, owner of the dispensary store Natural Buds in Fort Worth, welcomes.
Noriega had been preparing for SB 3 to take effect. He sold his house and assets to open his shop and was worried about the impacts the ban would have on his family.
鈥淚 couldn't believe it,鈥� Noriega said when he found out about the bill鈥檚 veto. 鈥淚 had emotionally prepared for the worst already, what to do with my assets and moving them out of state after September 1, and what I was going to have to prepare for rent-wise and taking care of employees.鈥�
Noriega is in favor of more regulation to keep "bad actors" out of the business 鈥� namely people or companies that might sell unsafe or untested products.
鈥淲ithout oversight, there's not someone making sure that there's not a toenail inside of gummies or something like that,鈥� he said.
Burton said he hopes lawmakers adopt a 鈥渃ommon sense鈥� approach to the hemp industry.
鈥淣obody wants this in schools or by churches or being sold to children, but you need to give adults that have made their own mind up or who are in search of healthier alternatives to the pain medications are being offered something that they can use.鈥�
While Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pushes for a full ban on THC products, Abbott is calling on lawmakers to develop restrictions on where and when it鈥檚 sold and how it鈥檚 packaged, as well as testing regulations and punishments for selling THC to minors 鈥� the state currently doesn鈥檛 have an age restriction on THC sales.
who called Abbott's decision an unbelievable victory,
described the governor's suggestions to change business hours and prohibit THC sales on Sundays 鈥� mirroring alcohol regulations in Texas 鈥� as 鈥渁rchaic.鈥�
Still, he said that people in the industry have been advocating for age restrictions because currently there are none.
鈥淚鈥檓 so thankful to the community for helping us get all these letters written [and signing] all of the petitions,鈥� Meek said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 extremely apparent that Gov. Abbott was listening to us because things in his proclamation were direct echoes of the things that were written in those letters.
Businesses selling THC products can continue operation as they wait for results from the special session.
Goss said he believes the special session could bring a positive outcome for the industry.
鈥淚 was reading through [Abbott鈥檚] statement that he attached to the veto and it did give me a lot of promise in terms of how hemp is going to survive in the state of Texas,鈥� Goss said. 鈥淗e was very, very clear that this is more of a regulation as needed.鈥�
Denton Record-Chronicle's Camila Gonzalez contributed to this reporting.
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