After a tumultuous regular legislative session and two special sessions, Texas finally has new rules for products with THC in them.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order that went into effect in September, banning sales of products with THC in them to minors. The executive order also includes a directive to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Texas Department of State Health Services to increase registration and licensing fees, restrict the amount of THC in products, and standardize labeling and testing requirements.
The sale and marketing of certain vape pens, including those that include THC, was also banned with the passage of Senate Bill 2024. That bill also went into effect in September.
How We Got Here
An executive order may have been a last resort.
A THC ban was one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s top priorities for the session — and he’s claimed that cannabis use has led to addiction, suicide, and brain changes.
During the regular session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 3, banning the sale of consumable THC products in them. The bill was controversial, with roughly 120,000 Texans, including veterans, business owners, and farmers, sending letters to Abbott asking him to veto the bill.
Abbott ended up doing just that, and vetoed Senate Bill 3, urging lawmakers to regulate THC instead of enacting an outright ban.
When the governor announced a special session to start on July 21, regulating hemp-derived products was included on his agenda. He wanted lawmakers to deliver a law that comprehensively regulated the products by limiting potency, restricting synthetically modified compounds, and creating enforcement.
The same agenda item was included on Abbott’s priorities for lawmakers for the second special session, which started on Aug. 15.
Lawmakers failed during both special sessions to pass a THC regulation bill.
Finally, on Sept. 10, Abbott issued his executive order, saying: “Safety for kids, freedom for adults.”
So, this means that the sale of THC products is still legal in Texas, but only to adults. ID verification is now required for the sale of THC products and retailers who do not follow that rule will have their permits revoked.
