Gov. Greg Abbott late Sunday vetoed the THC ban bill passed by his fellow Republicans in the Texas Legislature.
The move secures the future of the state’s multibillion-dollar hemp industry and keeps those who rely on legal THC products with more options — for now. It also articulates a divide among Texas conservatives in how they view cannabis and how to address its rising popularity.
Abbott acted less than an hour before the midnight deadline to veto bills and did not immediately issue a statement. Senate Bill 3 sought to ban the possession, sale and manufacture of all THC products — including consumable delta-8 THC which Texas lawmakers legalized in 2019.
Delta-8 THC is a minor chemical variant of the main psychoactive ingredient in traditional cannabis and provides lesser psychoactive effects. It can be coupled with CBD, another hemp-derived compound used for pain relief and mental wellness.