Texas hemp company weighing legal action after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick accuses it of selling poison

Officials with an Austin-based cannabis company on Thursday said they may sue Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick after he accused the business of selling poisonous products during an angry press conference he staged about the state’s proposed THC ban.

During Wednesday’s presser — which Patrick said he called to ensure the media is telling the “right story” — the Republican lieutenant governor and Allen Police Chief Steve Dye displayed delta-8 and delta-9 hemp products on a table. Patrick called the products “poison” that can permanently alter users’ minds.

“We can tell you what’s in a bag of Cheetos and a bag of Snickers,” Dye said. “I can’t tell you what’s in any of this.”

When Houston Chronicle political reporter Jeremy Wallace asked Patrick if there was a way to regulate THC-containing hemp “where grown adults could still have access to these products,” Patrick flipped out.

“We don’t want adults having access to this either. What are you? Crazy?” Patrick said, holding up a bag of Delta-9 Hometown Hero Cinna Crunch Cereal Bites. “You wanna go home and eat a bag of this tonight and see if you’re here tomorrow?”

Patrick continued: “That’s crazy talk. That’s the kind of talk, the reason why we’re here. Media would say something as stupid as that.”

Lukas Gilkey, CEO of Austin-based hemp company Hometown Hero, took issue with Patrick insinuating that his product could sicken and kill people, tweeting out a clip following the press conference in which he accused Patrick and Dye of spreading lies.

“He said we don’t know what’s in it — all of the ingredients, every single ingredient, are right there,” Gilkey said, pointing to an ingredient list on his product’s bag. “This is a guy that has no clue what he is talking about. I’m embarrassed that we voted him into office. Please help us get rid of this guy next time he comes up for election. I’m tired of dealing with this.”

Commenters on Gilkey’s tweet urged him to sue Patrick for what he said about Hometown Hero’s products.

“You and every other company that he put on his desk and defamed and slandered should sue him just to make him come back and say that they aren’t dangerous, by court order,” user @SplitDaWig said.

Later, Hometown Hero tweeted out a statement that its “legal team is looking into this as we speak…”

Senate Bill 3, which Patrick championed during the legislative session, bans the sale and possession of any hemp product containing THC, the compound in cannabis that gets people high. Only non-intoxicating CBD and CBG would be allowed if the bill is signed into law.

The Texas Legislature made hemp legal through a bill passed in 2019. In the years following, an industry sprouted up to produce and sell hemp products containing enough THC to get users stoned. Even though industry officials urged lawmakers to impose regulations such as age limits and testing requirements rather than ban the trade completely, Patrick threatened to continue calling special legislative sessions until lawmakers passed a complete ban.

SB 3 is now on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, awaiting signature. However, the governor has stayed mum whether he supports the measure, which has sparked fury on both the right and left. Hemp-business owners argue the legislation, if signed into law, will kill an $8 billion industry, while veterans groups said their members use the products to mitigate PTSD.

Abbott has until June 22 to veto the bill, sign it into law or allow it to pass without taking action.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed

Related Stories

Assclown Alert: Banning THC for the sake of political theater with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

If you’re angry about the state’s pending ban on THC-containing hemp, look no further than Patrick.

Ban on THC products in Texas heads to Gov. Abbott’s desk after Senate agrees to House changes

The governor has not addressed whether he supports the ban, as hemp industry leaders have urged him to veto Senate Bill 3.

Retailers say Texas’ ‘devastating’ THC ban will force them to close shop

Some hemp retailers are looking at other states, while others say they are ready to take Texas to court over a THC ban.

Texas House gives initial approval to bill that would completely ban THC products

The proposal would remove products such as delta-8 vapes from store shelves and shut down an industry that contributes $10 billion to the state economy.

Texas House passes raft of Dan Patrick priorities imposing conservative mandates on public ed

In the final days of session, the lower chamber voted to further advance the classroom culture wars.

Texas Lege passes bill expanding state’s medical cannabis program after vote to ban hemp products

The bill, now on the governor’s desk, would allow prescription vape products and expand the program’s list of qualifying conditions.

Texas governor likely to sign hemp ban to avoid conflict with lieutenant governor

Gov. Greg Abbott faces pressure, including from in his own Republican Party, to veto the legislation, which Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick championed.

Poll: More Texas GOP primary voters oppose Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s hemp ban than support it

Nearly half of Texas Republican primary voters think Patrick’s hemp ban is a bad idea, the survey showed.

This article appears in May 14-27, 2025.