Lt. Gov. Patrick announces SB3, which would ban THC sales

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced on Wednesday Senate Bill 3, a proposed Texas bill that would ban the sale of all tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products.  Patrick says the bill would close a loophole in the state’s hemp laws and addresses concerns over potentially dangerous THC products marketed to minors.

“This bill will protect Texans from harmful products,” Patrick said in a statement.  The bill is sponsored by Senator Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, and would prohibit all forms of consumable THC.

Patrick says in a statement that retailers are exploiting the 2019 Hemp Farming Act, which legalized hemp containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC, the primary intoxicating ingredient in marijuana and argues that products derived from this legal loophole have created risks for public health and safety.

Marijuana is a Schedule I drug at the federal level, classified as a drug with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”  The DEA is holding hearings on rescheduling the drug to align with the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services’ view of the drug and its uses in medicine, classifying the drug as a Schedule III drug.