THC

On Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott released his official proclamation announcing a special legislative session. Texas lawmakers will be back in Austin starting on July 21. The session, which originally looked like it would focus on regulating THC, now includes several emergency preparedness topics.

Senate Bill 3, which was championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, could have cost tens of thousands of people their jobs. Abbott said he would call a special session to debate the legislation further.

It's an unusual situation for the lieutenant governor, long viewed by GOP activists as a stalwart conservative responsible for driving the Legislature rightward.

Standing before a table full of THC-infused products, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick spoke about two bills that would regulate cannabis derivatives.

The House granted its final approval to the amended version of Senate Bill 3 Thursday evening. It now goes back to the Senate, where Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has indicated it is sure to pass, then on to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.

The House on Wednesday approved the ban, after previously considering proposals to preserve the industry by tightening regulations.

SB3 would ban the sale of consumable THC products, but cannabis reform advocates worry it would have far-reaching – and expensive – consequences.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said that one of his legislative priorities is to ban all consumable THC products in the state during the upcoming Texas legislative session.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said consumable THC products are a public health threat, and he named their prohibition one of his top priorities for the 2025 legislative session. Business and veterans’ groups are likely to lobby hard against the effort.

Earlier this year, Texas passed a law legalizing hemp and hemp-derived products like CBD oil. The law changed the state’s legal definition of…