After a tumultuous few weeks for the Texas weed community, the state’s governor has convened yet another special session. Gov. Greg Abbott (R), in his proclamation, once again told his lawmakers to use the time to focus on regulating hemp so as to avoid its access by children. Despite his direct wishes to regulate during the session, a Senate committee unanimously approved a bill to ban hemp THC products in the state.
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But first, the background on why there’s even a second session to begin with.
On August 2, Texas House Democrats walked out of the first special session to protest proposed redrawn congressional maps that would allow for Republicans to maintain control on many of the state’s hot button issues. After threatening the lawmakers with removal from their roles, the Democrats agreed to return on two conditions: first, the GOP must end the special session and second, California must release its own redrawn map meant to counter Texas’s. As a result, Abbott ended the first session and proclaimed the start of a new one on the 15th.
Texas Democrats agreed to return and did so last Monday.
Upon the start of the newest special session, the Senate State Affairs Committee passed Sen. Charles Perry (R)’s SB 6, a reintroduced version of SB 5. If passed by the House, HB 6 (the bill’s companion bill) would be a blanket ban on cannabis products containing a “detectable amount” of cannabinoids other than CBD and CBG. Possession of illegal cannabis would be considered a Class B misdemeanor, meaning it could land someone up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Despite the committee’s swift passing of Perry’s measure, Abbott made clear in his proclamation that he’s looking for measures that will “comprehensively regulate hemp-derived products,” including limiting potency and restricting synthetic cannabinoids, “all without banning lawful hemp-derived products.”
Abbott has vetoed a THC ban before. In June, SB 3 passed through the Senate and House before being denied at the last minute by the GOP governor. He, instead, called for a regulatory framework. According to Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, “Most Texans agree with Governor Abbott: the Texas legislature should regulate, not ban, THC products.”
HB 36 was also filed for this new session—if passed, it would prohibit people under 21 from buying consumable hemp products. This legislation is more in line with Abbott’s wishes for the session.
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It doesn’t seem like Perry or his allies, like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), will let up anytime soon on their efforts to ban THC. With the tension bubbling over between Texas Democrats, Republicans, and the governor, though, it’s still questionable whether or not a ban will actually be implemented soon.