Republican voters had a divided opinion on this issue, with 46 percent in favor of a ban against 39 percent who were opposed.
The Texas Tribune, Alejandro Serrano
Texas voters, in their majority, oppose the ban of hemp-derived THC like that recently vetoed. A statewide survey released by the Republican Party this week shows that Greg Abbott is in favor of a ban on hemp-derived THC products.
According to a survey conducted by the Texas Politics Project at University of Texas at Austin, 53 percent of Texas residents oppose the Senate Bill 3 ban that was approved during the legislative session which ended this month. 31 percent of voters supported the ban.
According to a poll conducted early in June, after the Legislature was adjourned yet before the Governor spiked SB 3, Republican voters had a divided opinion on this issue.
Abbott’s veto SB 3 immediately drew condemnation from Lieutenant Governor. Dan Patrick, the Republican second-in command in the state who championed this ban. Patrick, the presiding officer of the state Senate, also rejected Abbott’s call for lawmakers to more strictly regulate the products—in lieu of a ban—during an overtime legislative session next month.
The pollsters noted that voters had differing opinions on this issue.
SB 3 would have banned consumable hemp products that contained tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound in marijuana known as THC. Since lawmakers approved the sale of hemp products in 2019, these products are widely available across the state at smoke shops and gas stations.
Patrick has been critical of Abbott ever since the veto at the last minute. This is a rare break between Texas’s two top officials. They have always worked together during their decade-long tenures in positions that have seen Texas move to the right.
Patrick stated on Monday that “this is a fight which didn’t have to happen.” “Where was he all day? “Where has he gone? This is what we get [veto] Last night after midnight he made an announcement, but he jumped in with arguments which we did not find valid.
Patrick told reporters on Tuesday “it won’t be long” before Texas’ 8,000 cigarette and vape stores are forced out of the business after an Arkansas federal appeals judge reinstated a ban similar to that in Texas.
Abbott’s veto was based on the Arkansas ruling, in which he claimed that SB 3 couldn’t withstand legal scrutiny. It would also take years to resolve in courts. Abbott responded to Tuesday’s ruling on social media by stating that the Texas THC ban and the Arkansas THC prohibition were fundamentally different.
Abbott wrote: “Even though Arkansas legislation was not as flawed in legal terms as Texas law, the Arkansas bill was never enforced and it will remain unenforced until years from now. “I vetoed the Texas bill because we do not have time for a protracted legal fight — we must act now to keep Texas children safe. This process will begin next month.”
Patrick’s critics and allegations have received no other response from the Governor.
Texas Politics Project’s polling shows that the divided opinion among Republican voters about the THC-ban reflects their shifting attitudes towards the legality of marijuana.
In 2000, Texas Republicans argued that marijuana possession was not legal in any circumstance. This figure is now 21 percent. The percentage of Republican voters that supported the legalization of small quantities of marijuana, for whatever purpose, increased from 23 to 31 percent.
Disclosure: University of Texas at Austin is a supporter of The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organisation that receives funding from corporate sponsors, members and foundations. No financial supporter has any influence on the journalism at The Texas Tribune. Here is a full list.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/25/texas-poll-voters-oppose-thc-ban-sb-3/.
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He is not concerned about potential Senate opposition.