Texas lawmakers are looking to weed out the unintended consequences of a 2019 law that legalized industrial hemp in the state. This week, the Texas Senate took up debate on Senate Bill 3, which would ban the sale of edible products that contain THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. These products, often in the form of gummies or beverages, can contain unregulated levels of THC and are even marketed and sold to underage kids.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has made SB 3 a priority this session, saying "retailers exploited the (2019 law) to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible."
State Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who sponsored SB 3, shares Patrick's view. In a recent Q&A with Texas Tribune, Perry explains why he filed the bill. "This was an exploitation of an agricultural bill I passed in '19," he says. "I said it in '19, that if you take the hemp plant that is intended to be fiber for the farmer and a new industry, and get cute with it, we will shut it down."
Critics of SB 3, including some veterans groups, claim these edibles are a source of therapy and relief for those struggling with chronic pain. Perry believes that issue can be addressed while still banning the unregulated products. "My goal is to remove all of that off the shelves, so that there's no conversation," he tells Texas Tribune. "And at the same time, for those people that believe they're dependent on it because it gave them some type of relief, we will provide a different access to our compassionate use program."
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