 on Sunday evening vetoed a bill to ban THC throughout the state.){kind=link}
Texas won’t kill its booming hemp-THC industry, after Gov. Greg Abbott, (R) vetoed on Sunday evening the THC ban bill for all of Texas. The bill was championed by the Lt. Dan Patrick (R) — who made banning hemp-derived THC his top priority for the year — Senate Bill 3 would have banned products containing any amount of THC, even when sourced from industrial hemp.
Business owners, business groups, and hemp supporters put pressure on Governor Rick Scott to veto Bill HB 59. Even though the bill passed both the legislative and executive bodies, as well as receiving support from the majority of conservative state lawmakers, the recent poll showed that even Republican voters were not in favor of it. The advocates also said that they had delivered more than 180,000 signatures on petitions, and more than 5,000 letters to the Governor this month.
It was less than one hour before the Governor’s deadline to make a decision.
Lt. Gov. Patrick attacked Abbott after the veto.
“Throughout the Texas legislative session, Greg Abbott remained completely silent about Senate Bill 3 which would have prohibited dangerous THC-based products. The late-night veto of Senate Bill 3, which was supported by 95 out of 108 Republicans and many members in medical, education, and law enforcement communities as well, left the feeling that the issue had been abandoned. — Patrick, in a social media post
On Saturday, the governor decided to also sign into law an expansion of Texas’ limited cannabis program. This will cover new conditions for qualifying and delivery methods. Previously, Texas’ Compassionate Usage Program (TCUP), only permitted access to low THC levels and very few patients.
The program’s changes will add traumatic brain injury, chronic pain and terminal illnesses or conditions that require hospice to its list of qualifying conditions. Additionally, the program will allow for vaporized or aerosolized medical cannabis delivery – smoking, however, will remain banned under the new law.
This bill increases the number of dispensing organisations from three to fifteen and permits retailers to run satellite stores for storing secure medical cannabis to be distributed.
The Texas Compassionate Use Program is severely restricted and has left Texans in desperate need of relief for far too long. Texans spoke, and they have heard. HB 46 will expand access to medical cannabis, a relatively safe and effective treatment option that has long been sought by patients suffering from pain and several other serious medical conditions,” — Kevin Caldwell, Southeast Legislative Manager at the Marijuana Policy Project, in a press release
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