Democratic candidate Vikki Goodwin speaks to THC enthusiasts in San Antonio on Tuesday. Credit: Michael Karlis

Vikki Goodwin, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, told attendees at a San Antonio rally that Texans — especially veterans and those with terminal illnesses — should have access to recreational weed.

The Austin state rep’s comments came during a pro-THC rally at the High Horse Ice House on Tuesday. Her position places her in sharp contrast with her opponent, incumbent Republican Dan Patrick, who’s spent years blocking cannabis reform in the state.

“Dan wants to ban THC. I want to ban Dan,” Goodwin said, drawing applause from the roughly 50 people attending her rally.

Patrick, who sets the agenda for the Texas Senate, has fought for a statewide ban on consumable cannabinoids such as delta-8, delta-9 and delta-10, even holding a 2025 press conference at the Texas Capitol where he described the products as “poison.”

During that same year’s legislative session, Patrick championed the approval of Senate Bill 3, which included an outright ban on most THC-containing products. However, Gov. Greg Abbott ultimately vetoed the proposal.

Even so, a Texas Supreme Court decision in May — which Patrick supported — allowed the Texas Department of State Health Services to outlaw smokable cannabinoid products and most other THC-containing products except for low-dose delta-9 drinks and gummies.

Goodwin said Patrick’s repeated attempts to ban THC are hurting Texans and disregarding the medical benefits of cannabis.

“My next door neighbor — most wonderful person ever — she died of cancer,” Goodwin said. “But, before she died, a friend provided her something, a CBD product, and it helped her manage her pain. Why would we take that away? So, I am here to say that I am a supporter of the hemp industry. We need to regulate it. We need to have an age requirement of 21-plus. And we need to make sure it’s packaged so that people know what they’re putting in their bodies.”

Goodwin also spoke with the owners of Lazydaze Coffeeshop, a legal cannabinoid distributor on the St. Mary’s Strip, about the struggles and uncertainty Patrick’s ongoing policy battles have caused small businesses.

Sarah Eckhardt, the Democratic candidate for comptroller running against Republican Don Huffines, also attended the San Antonio gathering.

Eckhardt, also an Austin-area state senator, recalled that during her childhood, her mother, the progressive activist and author Nadine Eckhardt, grew pot in the backyard.

“My mom, who was born in 1931, has been smoking pot most of her life,” Eckhardt said of her mother, who died in 2018. “My mother, just like so many other Texans, for generations, has been utilizing marijuana for a number of totally laudable reasons.”

Eckhardt continued: “I thought Texans believed in independence.”

A Texas Politics Project poll released Tuesday shows Goodwin leading Patrick by 3 percentage points.

Early voting runs Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

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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,...