Texas Hemp and Cannabis Industry Beats BackDan Patrick’s Last Minute, Secret Push to Ban THC

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s last-minute, backdoor push to outlaw hemp products

blows up in smoke, as the Legislature adjourned late Wednesday night.

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September 04 2025

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Austin, TX — September 4, 2025 — The Texas Legislature adjourned sine die late Wednesday

without passing new restrictions on hemp-derived THC, ending months of speculation and a

last-minute push by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to advance a de facto ban.

The defeat came after one of the most turbulent years in Texas politics, marked by contentious debates in both the regular and special sessions.

Lawmakers considered multiple proposals to outlaw intoxicating hemp products — bills that drew sharp opposition from small business owners, patients, veterans, and industry advocates who said such counterintuitive measures would eliminate more than 50,000 jobs, shuttering thousands of retail locations, and pushing an $8-12 billion cannabis market into illicit channels.

Throughout Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, Patrick convened a private meetings

with key House Republicans, including Briscoe Cain and other members planning a run for

Congress, to discuss moving forward on a bill modeled after HB 6 and HB 309, both bills which would have essentially banned THC.

Sources from within the legislature, who wish to remain unidentified, shared early Wednesday

morning that Patrick and allies were reportedly weighing holding last-minute, late-night hearing without public comment to push the bill forward. As word spread of secret meetings Tuesday night and the potential for a push to pass a ban, potentially without public comment, advocates and business owners mobilized quickly.

After hours of negotiations and scores of phone calls from outraged constituents, House Public Health Committee Chair Gary VanDeaver, who authored HB6, made a public statement that no hearings had been scheduled for the time being. Hours later, Patrick conceded on X, shortly after 8 p.m.,

that he did not have enough support in the House to proceed as planned.

“After long discussions last night between the Governor, Speaker, and me [Dan Patrick] on

THC, and continued hours of discussion today, we were not able to come to a resolution. I

appreciate the effort by Gov. Greg Abbott to find a solution. My position remains unchanged; the Senate and I are for a total THC ban.”

The collapse of the ban effort capped eight months of testimony and debate. Across multiple

hearings this year, hundreds of Texans — veterans, parents, patients, and small business

operators — crowded Capitol hearing rooms to voice opposition.

Advocates stressed that their defense of hemp was not driven by large lobbying firms or corporate campaigns, despite being directly called nefarious bad actors, criminals, and “paid shills” by Senator Charles Perry throughout the session.

Hundreds of Texans turned out to testify during hearings in both the regular and special

sessions — many of them small business owners, veterans, and advocates who have been part of the hemp industry since 2019, when Congress passed the Farm Bill and Texas followed by

writing its own regulations for consumable hemp products. For these community members, the industry represents not only an economic lifeline but also a matter of health access and

personal freedom.

Even so, other cannabis-related measures did advance this session.

Lawmakers were able to approve a ban on flavored hemp and cannabis vapes containing any amount of cannabinoids, removing them from retail shelves. Industry groups expect litigation to be filed to challenge the law now that the Legislature has recessed.

The Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), the state’s medical cannabis program, was also expanded to include new qualifying conditions and higher-dose products as well as medical-grade vaporizers.

For now, hemp-derived products — including edibles, beverages, and THCa smokeable flower

that meets the federal 0.3% delta-9 THC thresholds — remain legal in Texas. With no other new restrictions in place, Texas will continue to operate the largest open cannabis market in the United States.

“This was a coordinated effort to end an entire industry in one night,” one advocate said. “The

fact that it collapsed shows how strong and organized this community has become.”

Still, Patrick and other conservative leaders are expected to revisit the issue in 2026, when

primary campaigns could again put hemp policy in the spotlight. For now, the political appetite

for another special session appears low: lawmakers have already approved disaster relief

funding following the July 4 floods that devastated Central Texas communities, killing children

and displacing families.

With that urgent work complete, the Legislature has little incentive or desire to return before the next election cycle.

Lawmakers could not even agree on a simple age-gate bill — one that might have resolved

months of political wrangling by setting clearer rules for retailers. Many at the Capitol privately

acknowledge that the obstacle is not policy but politics: adopting an age-gate framework would be seen by some Republicans as signing off on legalization.

That stalemate has left operators without clear guidance and made any sale to minors not just an industry failing, but also a consequence of legislative refusal to act.

The Texas Hemp Coalition underscored that point in a statement: “While we are encouraged that no bans were enacted, it is critical that our industry continues to demonstrate responsibility and compliance. We urge all operators to: 1) maintain 21+ age restrictions on all sales;

2) avoid packaging or marketing that could be deemed attractive to children; and

3) ensure consumers have access to high-quality, tested products that meet safety

standards.

By continuing to uphold these best practices we not only protect consumers but also strengthen the credibility and long-term sustainability of the Texas hemp industry.”

With lawmakers deadlocked, the future of Texas hemp may depend less on the Legislature and more on whether operators can prove they are good stewards of the plant until the next fight at the Capitol.

Lt. Gov. Patrick made clear he has not abandoned the issue. In a statement on X, he wrote:

“After long discussions last night between the Governor, Speaker, and me on THC, and

continued hours of discussion today, we were not able to come to a resolution. My position

remains unchanged; the Senate and I are for a total THC ban.”

For now, however, the hemp and cannabis industry live to fight another day in Texas.