When the Texas Legislature approved Senate Bill 3 (SB3) in May, it sent shockwaves through a sector that has flourished since the 2019 legalization of hemp. Authored by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) and forcefully driven by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, SB3 would ban any detectable level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in hemp-derived products—effectively outlawing everything that includes any cannabinoids other than CBD & CBG Isolate. As of early June, Gov. Greg Abbott has not yet signed the bill; he has until June 22 to veto it, allow it to become law without his signature, or sign it outright. Hemp advocates, farmers, veterans, and small-business owners are mounting a full-court press in Austin, delivering more than 118,000 petition signatures and thousands of handwritten letters urging Abbott to wield his veto pen and preserve an industry that supports an estimated 53,000 Texas jobs.
A Post-2019 Hemp Boom in Peril
In 2019, Texas aligned with the federal “2018 Farm Bill” to legalize hemp cultivation (cannabis containing up to 0.3 percent delta-9 THC). The goal was to diversify rural economies—turning fields once devoted to cotton or sorghum into drought-resistant hemp plantations. By late 2024, that vision fueled a $10 billion industry stretching from Lubbock’s seed breeders to East Texas textile factories. But SB3’s zero-tolerance THC threshold means any trace of cannabinoids in grain or fiber renders a crop illegal, wiping out decades of investment overnight.
Recently AG Commissioner Sid Miller told grain and fiber hemp growers SB3 does not impact them but we find that hard to believe because industrial hemp still has trace amounts of THC – Link – DKZwx0QvlmC
The Misinformation Campaign
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has led the charge for SB3, branding THC-infused gummies, vape cartridges, and cereal bites as “poisons” aimed at children. In an April news conference, he tossed a THC-laced cereal snack to reporters, warning that “kids could unknowingly get hooked for life” and that the industry is deliberately trying “to kill your kids.” Yet Texas law already mandates third-party lab testing, chain-of-custody tracking, and transparent labeling. Distributors must post certificates of analysis listing exact cannabinoid concentrations, and no retailer may sell to anyone under 21. “The idea that we don’t know what’s in these products is false,” says Cynthia Cabrera, president of the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC). “SB3 ignores six years of enforcement and oversight.”
Patrick’s own footage undercuts his warnings: a vape shop carded him properly when he attempted to enter in March. Meanwhile, THBC and allied groups accuse SB3 backers of conflating hard-to-monitor black-market operators with licensed dispensaries. “They cherry-pick isolated incidents to justify a statewide ban,” notes Mark Bordas, THBC’s executive director. “The result: regulated businesses are punished instead of rogue actors.”
Devastation for Rural Economies
SB3’s broad ban devastates any hemp uses that leave residual THC. From fiber processors producing eco-friendly materials for textiles or construction materials, to grain processors supplying hemp hearts, protein, animal feed and culinary seed oil, most applications involve raw hemp biomass that registers minimal cannabinoid levels. “Chemists testified that eliminating every trace of THC is impossible,” says Katharine Harris, drug policy fellow at Rice University. “SB3 criminalizes ordinary agricultural residues.”
Farms across West Texas and the Panhandle invested heavily in specialized drying kilns, extraction labs, and genetic seed trials—only to face a looming shutdown. “We became one of the largest hemp producers in the U.S. because Texas supported innovation,” says Ann Gauger of Caprock Family Farms in Lubbock. “SB3 will wipe us out in one season.”
In East Texas, fiber farmers partnering with textile companies fear stranded contracts. “We have agreements with mills in Europe and the Pacific Northwest,” says Colton Luther of Geremy Greens Farm. “Any detectable THC voids those deals, which means no income and no way to pay our workers.”
Main Street Businesses at Risk
In urban centers, dispensaries and smoke shops also face closure. Planet K, a network of 17 Central Texas outlets, relies on hemp tinctures, salves, and infused beverages for nearly 40 percent of sales. Manager Kaymon Thomas notes that many customers are seniors or veterans managing chronic pain or PTSD. “We’re underpaid therapists,” Thomas explains. “If SB3 passes, those people will revert to opioids or unregulated products—far more dangerous alternatives.”
Veterans have been among SB3’s most vocal opponents. Mitch Fuller, an Iraq War veteran and legislative chair of the VFW Department of Texas, testified that hemp-derived THC products kept him off opioids. “SB3 will push thousands of vets back onto harmful pharmaceuticals,” Fuller warned. Fellow VFW National Legislative Committee chair Dave Walden shared that THC gummies kept him from using opioids since 2018. “This bill strips away something that’s genuinely helping us,” he said.
Family-run shops like Happy Cactus Apothecary in South Austin fear being forced to trash inventory. “We built this business on strict compliance,” says co-owner Mickey Harris. “SB3 says throw it all away or face fines. That’s government overreach.”
Political Crossroads for Governor Abbott
Gov. Abbott’s June 22 deadline places him between Lt. Gov. Patrick’s “tough-on-drugs” narrative and a widely supported industry that underpins rural Texas economies. An April UT-Austin poll found 55 percent of Republicans prefer existing hemp laws or looser regulations, with only 40 percent supporting stricter limits. Among all Texans, just 34 percent backed a total THC prohibition, while 50 percent opposed it.
Abbott has hinted at a more moderate stance: in March, he told the Houston Chronicle that “small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation we want to stockpile jails with.” His office declined to reveal a position on SB3, saying only that the governor will “thoughtfully review” any legislation. But with pressure mounting—THBC delivered 122,000+ petition signatures plus thousands of letters—Abbott’s choice will reverberate through agriculture, healthcare, and public safety.
Compromise Options Overlooked
Before SB3’s passage, hemp advocates proposed targeted regulation: raise the purchase age to 21, ban sales within a set distance of schools, and prohibit marketing directed at minors. Such measures would have preserved adult access and protected youth. “Regulation, not prohibition, is the answer,” says Bordas. “We can test, label, and enforce. Banning legal hemp only hands business to criminals.”
Lt. Gov. Patrick countered that law enforcement lacks resources to monitor thousands of storefronts. “We can’t check every store,” he told NewsNation, citing the 8,000–9,000 smoke shops in Texas. Critics point out that Texas already regulates more than 3,000 liquor stores and 16,000 convenience stores—significantly more than hemp dispensaries—without accusing those chains of mass underage sales. They argue that a targeted compliance initiative could work.
Meanwhile, Patrick brokered support for House Bill 46 to expand Texas’s Compassionate Use Program (medical marijuana) to conditions like chronic pain and PTSD. But HB 46 serves a narrow patient pool (doctor-approved medical cases), leaving adult recreational and wellness consumers stranded if SB3 passes.
The Black-Market Dilemma
SB3 backers insist prohibition will protect minors and public health. Yet evidence from alcohol prohibition and modern opioid policy suggests bans often fuel illicit markets, introducing untested, dangerous products. “If we eliminate the legal market, cartels and underground producers will step in,” warns Cabrera. “Do we really want unregulated THC flooding our border towns?”
Texas already grapples with a fentanyl crisis; 2024 saw record synthetic-opioid fatalities. Regulated hemp products, by contrast, undergo lab testing to ensure purity. “Veterans and seniors rely on a trusted supply chain,” Fuller says. “SB3 would force them back to pills or unregulated alternatives—risks we can’t ignore.”
Countdown to a Veto
With less than three weeks until June 22, hemp stakeholders are lobbying relentlessly. Rallies at the Capitol, petition deliveries, and personal appeals from rural legislators underscore the stakes: an industry’s collapse, tens of thousands of lost jobs, and millions in lost tax revenue.
If Abbott vetoes SB3, Texas retains one of the largest regulated hemp markets in the U.S., preserves rural incomes, and offers veterans safer pain-management tools. If he allows it to become law—or signs it outright—Texas becomes one of the few states to fully outlaw THC in any hemp form, reversing years of economic growth and innovation.
“We were on the cutting edge,” says Cabrera. “SB3 tears down everything Texas built. A veto would reaffirm our state’s ethos: support innovation, protect jobs, and let science guide policy.” As the deadline looms, farmers in Lubbock, retailers in Austin, and veterans across the state watch and wait—praying that good policy triumphs over political fear mongering.
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