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Abbott, a Republican, waited until the final moment to veto the
bill in what would have been one of the most restrictive THC
bans in the country and a significant blow to the state's
billion-dollar industry.
The law would have made it a misdemeanor to own, manufacture or
sell consumable THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, products and was
the latest push by states to regulate THC after a 2018 federal
law allowed states to regulate hemp, a similar plant to
marijuana that can be synthetically processed to produce THC,
the compound giving marijuana its psychoactive properties.
Loopholes in existing law have allowed many THC-infused goods to
enter the market across the country, including states with
strict marijuana laws.
Texas has some of the strictest marijuana laws in the country,
prohibiting all recreational use and providing a limited medical
marijuana program. The consumables market has allowed residents
to legally access goods giving a similar high to marijuana.
Republican lawmakers have criticized the products as dangerous
due to a lack of federal oversight in how the goods are
manufactured. Texas' ban is one of the more far-reaching among
states that have taken similar steps. Several states, including
California, have imposed age limits and restrictions on the
potency of THC products.
Critics of the Texas bill say it allows people who cannot access
marijuana through the state's medical marijuana program to
acquire goods that can provide a similar relief. Many retailers
across the state also pointed to the thousands of jobs and
millions in revenue the industry brings each year.
Last year, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill
that would have put age restrictions on THC consumables,
claiming it would hurt small businesses.
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