Lies, Labels, and Lawmakers : The THC Circus in Texas

By Stone Slade - High at 9 News Watch today's Episode on YouTube, X, and Rumble.

05-29-2025

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick just held a press conference in Austin, Texas and tried to convince the public that a clearly labeled, QR-code-tracked hemp product was a mysterious, unregulated substance. One that’s apparently going to “hook an entire generation on drugs.” And somehow, he managed to say it with a straight face.

Patrick stood in front of reporters, held up a legal, regulated product from Hometown Hero, one of the most compliant companies in the Texas hemp market, and declared he didn’t know “what’s in it.” You know what was in it, Dan? A full ingredients list. A QR code that

links directly to third-party lab results. And a cannabinoid profile that complies with the exact laws you helped pass. If this is your idea of transparency, I’d hate to see your

definition of accountability.

Meanwhile, in a rare moment of progress, the Texas Senate actually did something useful. They voted unanimously to expand the state’s painfully limited Compassionate Use Program. Yes, unanimously. In Texas. On cannabis.

House Bill 46 could finally bring some relief to Texans suffering from chronic pain, terminal illnesses, and even those in hospice care. That’s a big step forward from the tight handful of conditions that previously qualified. The bill also opens the door to inhalable products like vapes and aerosolized inhalers, something that’s been strangely missing from the “compassionate” program for years.

Because here’s the thing. Cannabis is in this weird middle ground. It makes you feel euphoric, so lawmakers instinctively want to regulate it like alcohol or drugs. The

problem is, both of those things literally poison you. Cannabis doesn’t. In fact, it’s actually beneficial for your body. Trying to jam it into the same regulatory box is like

forcing a circle through a square hole. It doesn’t fit, and instead of adjusting the system, they just keep hammering harder.

The new law would also increase the number of licensed dispensaries from three to twelve. On paper, that’s quadrupling access. But when you’re starting from three

in a state the size of France, that’s still pretty dismal. Patients are still expected to drive hours just to pick up a prescription, sometimes across multiple counties. You

don’t see pharmaceuticals treated this way.

And while lawmakers are finally acknowledging that cannabis has medicinal value, they’re simultaneously pushing a total ban on all other THC products made from

hemp. Senate Bill 3 was rushed to Governor Abbott’s desk the same day the Senate passed HB 46.

If that sounds backward, it’s because it is. The same legislators who say they want to prevent addiction are voting to remove low-THC alternatives, the very products helping people avoid narcotics. And then they turn around and pretend the only people opposing them are greedy

business owners. Patrick even said those fighting the ban

“don’t care about kids.” This, from the man who is literally handing the Texas cannabis market over to the cartels. What happened to “what about the children”?

It’s a mess, but not an unfixable one.

Governor Abbott has until June 22 to either sign or veto the THC ban. If he signs it, Texans will lose access to products that have helped veterans, seniors, and people in pain manage their conditions without opioids. If he vetoes it, lawmakers might finally be forced to have a real conversation about responsible cannabis regulation instead of peddling fear.

So pick up the phone. Call his office. Email. Show up if you have to. Because if we’ve learned anything from this legislative session, it’s that the truth doesn’t matter much to some politicians. But it does still matter to the people who vote for them.