Shops selling THC-containing hemp products proliferated statewide after both Congress and the Texas Legislature approved the sale of hemp crops. Credit: Shutterstock / rblfmr

Despite industry pushback and dissent from within his own party, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is likely to allow the state’s hemp ban bill to become law to avoid conflict with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who championed the legislation, a veteran political observer said.

“Abbott is often reluctant to clash directly with Patrick,” Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson said of the two Republican officeholders. “For Patrick, this does seem to be a matter of commitment and principle.”

The governor has until June 22 to veto Senate Bill 3 – a sweeping proposal that would ban sale and possession of hemp products containing THC, the compound in cannabis that gets people high. Non-psychoactive compounds, including CBD and CBG, would still be allowed, however.

Patrick made outlawing of THC-containing hemp products one his top priorities this session, claiming that the products, sold at Texas smoke shops and gas stations, are “poison” that get into the hands of kids. During a news conference last week, the lieutenant governor even alleged without proof that the products can be deadly.

On Monday, hemp advocates reported delivering more than 100,000 letters to Abbott’s office, demanding he veto SB 3. The legislation passed over the objections of the state’s hemp industry, farmers who staked their livelihood on hemp as a cash crop and people, including veterans, who use THC to deal with conditions such as PTSD and chronic pain.

That puts Abbott is in a tricky spot.

If the the governor signs SB 3, he would be at least partially responsible for the death of a $8 billion industry made possible due to a loophole in the 2019 Texas Farm Bill. That move is likely to anger businesses that bet on hemp, users of the products plus the libertarian flank of his party.  

If Abbott vetoes, he’ll face the wrath of Patrick, a firebrand who’s largely been on good terms with the governor this session but could make his life difficult in the next.

Meanwhile, Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, one of the Texas House’s most vocal conservatives, encouraged Abbott to reject the bill, saying it puts Texans’ personal liberties under attack.

“Freedom-loving, patriotic Texans who either want or who rely on hemp products [will be pushed] into either the very dangerous and completely unregulated black market, or to much more deadly and addictive pharmaceuticals,” Harrison said of SB 3.

Despite the political pressure, Abbott is likely to find signing SB 3 the least damaging route, SMU’s Jillson said.

“The best compromise for Abbott is to ban THC but tout that he is also signing bills to expand the medical uses of marijuana,” Jillson said. “That will also keep him from a direct face-to-face confrontation with Patrick.”

Indeed, the Lege passed HB 46 on Monday, which expands the medical conditions that qualify for participation in the state’s strictly regulated medical marijuana program. Under that proposal, Texans suffering from chronic pain, Crohn’s disease and traumatic brain injuries would now qualify for the program.

That bill would also allow patients in the program to legally access vape products, and it would increase the number of medical cannabis dispensaries about to operate in Texas.

If Abbott signs both SB 3 and HB 46, it would allow him to avoid completely cutting off Texans’ access to legal weed while also giving Patrick what he wants, Jillson said.

“Abbott is a practical guy,” the professor added. “The economics of the question are important for him.”

Getting along with Patrick is a priority for the governor, Jillson said.

The past legislative session, which ended Monday, was far more stable and productive than 2023’s. During that session, spats between Patrick and then-House Speaker Dade Phelan — as well as the House impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton — left priorities on the table and prompted Abbott to call special sessions.

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This article appears in May 29 – Jun 11, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...