Greg Abbott says he supports THC ban on intoxicating hemp products

OG Article By Isaac Yu,Staff writer Watch Today's LIVE Episode on YouTube, X, and Rumble

July 23, 2025

Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that he supports banning intoxicating hemp products, appearing to walk back his calls last month for lawmakers to regulate the state’s burgeoning THC industry like it does for alcohol. 

In interviews with media outlets, Abbott said he wants to keep non-intoxicating products available but ban those that produce a “high”, the chief target of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the state Senate and pushed a proposed ban this spring – which Abbott vetoed. 

BACKGROUND: Greg Abbott vetoes Texas THC ban, calls for special session to regulate hemp industry

The governor said he now wants a 0.3% THC cap on any hemp-based products – or 3 milligrams for every gram of product. 

“The only hemp product that’s going to be out there is non-intoxicating hemp, which is below 3 milligrams of THC,” Abbott told Impact News. 

The state already has a 0.3% limit on Delta-9 THC concentration in hemp products. Delta-8 and other synthetically-derived strains are not currently subject to any threshold – meaning they can more easily be sold in quantities that produce a high. 

Abbott said Tuesday that he wants to ban those synthetically-derived THC strains entirely, including Delta-8. Delta-9 products would only be available to adults over age 21, he said.

“We're going to be protecting the lives of those who are under the age of 21 and we're going to protect the liberty of those who are 21 and older,” Abbott said in an interview with Hearst Newspapers.

The remarks were Abbott’s first since he vetoed Patrick’s full ban in June. They came as a Texas Senate committee was actively considering a similar version of Senate Bill 3, the vetoed bill, on the Senate floor.

Abbott said his proposal would be included in a 180-page bill that had not been filed as of Tuesday.

Patrick did not immediately comment publicly on the governor’s plan, and he has previously said he prefers an outright ban of all THC products, including Delta-9.

Industry advocates hoped to learn more details on the governor’s plan. Some said they were cautiously optimistic.

A focus on banning synthetics could keep natural, lower-potency options on shelves, said Jake Bullock, the CEO of the THC beverage company Cann, which carries a number of 2-milligram THC drinks that would qualify under the threshold Abbott is proposing. Cann and other companies have designed beverages that specifically meet the concentration and serving size limits other states have set, and could do so for Texas, he added. 

“It’s smart of him to engage in this question,” Bullock said. “It’s not a question of a ban, it’s where do you draw the line? Very few states have said the line should be zero.”

“Gov. Abbott’s recent comments are consistent with his veto proclamation in which he called for limits on THC per serving in consumable hemp products,” said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center. “We look forward to working with the governor‘s office to pin down a policy that strikes the right balance between liberty and responsibility for adult use of THC.”