Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a bill Sunday to ban all THC consumables, allowing the booming market flush with THC-infused vapes, gummies, and other products to continue to be sold across the state. The Republican waited until the final moment to stop 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. But Abbott said he's open to lawmakers passing a new effort to regulate what has become a booming business and summoned lawmakers to a special session in July to do that, the AP reports.
The veto was a victory for thousands of retailers and hemp farmers in Texas who worried they could be put out of business, as well as for advocates who said a ban would harm people who use THC to treat PTSD and other serious conditions. But it drew sharp criticism from some of Abbott's top allies who want to eradicate a business they consider dangerous. At a press conference on Monday, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has led the effort to crack down on the THC market, said that he was confused by the governor's actions and that the veto amounts to legalizing marijuana in Texas. "By this veto, he has now put us in a box," Patrick said.
The law would have made it a misdemeanor to own, manufacture, or sell consumable THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, products, per the AP, prohibiting all recreational use and providing only a limited medical marijuana program. Abbott suggested lawmakers look at age restrictions and regulation around the marketing and packaging of THC consumables rather than an outright ban to avoid hemp farmers, pharmacists, and others facing prosecution for owning small amounts. "Legislators could consider a structure similar to the way alcohol is regulated, with strict enforcement by an agency like the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission," Abbott said in his proclamation vetoing the bill.
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