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yesterday

Texas Senate Sends THC Hemp Ban and Broader Medical Cannabis Access to Governor Abbott

The measures now await Gov. Abbott’s signature, setting a September THC ban alongside expanded eligibility for chronic pain sufferers

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File photo: marijuana plants in a flowering room at Compassionate Cultivation, a licensed medical cannabis cultivator and dispensary, in Manchaca, Texas.
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, seen here last fall, has been the driving force behind the bill that would ban THC across Texas. 

Overview

  • Senate Bill 3, which would prohibit all consumable THC hemp products, cleared the Senate in the House’s version and is now on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for signature.
  • If signed, the ban takes effect in September, carries penalties of up to one year in jail for possession, and requires retailers to comply by January.
  • House Bill 46 received unanimous Senate approval to widen the Compassionate Use Program to include chronic pain, terminal illness, hospice care and other conditions.
  • HB46 also authorizes 12 licensed dispensers with satellite sites in each public health region and permits prescribed smokable products such as vapes and inhalers.
  • Industry groups warn that wiping out THC hemp sales could imperil a $10.2 billion market, threaten 53,000 jobs and push unregulated THC products into underground channels.