The Texas hemp scene has been on notice for the past few weeks as a special session to consider multiple bills about the plant began. Among the bills were proposals to regulate cannabis packaging and one to outright ban hemp. While the special session has yielded some negative results for the weed world so far, the plant still has allies in Texas’ government: in the most recent demonstration of that fact, Republican Texas District Attorney Sarah Stogner smoked a joint on TikTok Live last week to protest efforts to ban THC.
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On August 1, the Texas Senate passed SB 5 20-9, which would ban products that contain a “detectable amount” of cannabinoids other than CBD and CBG. This would overrule the federal definition of legal hemp, which is weed that contains less than 0.3 percent of THC. The day after, Stogner put out a press release announcing her upcoming stunt—smoking on TikTok. According to the DA of the 143rd Judicial District in Ward County, she purchased the weed in New Mexico and drove back home to smoke it. She started the live at 4:20 pm.
Her actions were illegal, but she’s not worried about prosecution. Stogner told Newsweek she wasn’t concerned because, in her position, she has jurisdiction over the area in which she committed the crime. Also, she claimed juries aren’t interested in prosecuting those who possess or deal marijuana.
She also told the New York Times that she obtained a defense lawyer and altered the local district judge of her planned actions ahead of time, who she said laughed.
After the live, Stogner took to X to address Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, one of the state’s most staunch anti-weed advocates. She quote-tweeted a post by Patrick with a screenshot of her live and the caption, “Free the plant Dan.”
HB 5—a nearly identical bill to SB 5—is set to be considered in the House soon. If passed, the fate of Texas hemp will be in Abbott’s hands yet again: it would be up to him to veto the measure if he sees fit.
Judging by the comments on Stognor’s TikTok Live and X posts, Texans are split on the matter. Many residents are ecstatic to see an elected official take such a bold stand, while others would prefer if she stuck to the law and remained more professional.
According to the Times, she could be subject to removal from her position—apparently, she simply shrugged indifferently as the possibility.
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As the fight for hemp continues in Texas, stunts like these have the potential to make a big difference. The question, then, is this: will Stogner’s smoke sesh help or hurt the cause?