Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the Texas Senate doubled down yesterday on their reckless crusade to ban hemp with the passage of Senate Bill 6 – reaffirming their disregard for the will of Lone Star State residents. Their misguided rationale will impact thousands of hard-working Texans in the hemp industry, erasing a nearly $8 billion industry and nearly 60,000 jobs.
A ban on hemp will have devastating consequences.
“The Texas Senate continues to play the same old tune on hemp policy, willfully disregarding the veto of Gov. Abbott, and the harm a ban would have on Texas farmers and business owners across the state. This issue is a bipartisan matter of personal liberty and economic opportunity that unites Texans from all walks of life, and any legislator who turns a deaf ear to Texas voters does so at their own political risk. Gov. Abbott demonstrated his understanding of this reality when he vetoed SB3 and specifically called for sensible regulations that protect children rather than blanket prohibitions disguised as new legislation,” said HIFA Executive Director Brian Swensen.
Read more about what they are saying:
Texas Hemp Business Council, Texas Veterans Deserve Freedom of Choice: A Letter to the Texas Legislature
“When I returned from combat in Iraq, the VA prescribed me a “cocktail” of medications – more than 20 pills daily. Like thousands of Texas veterans, I found myself trapped in a pharmaceutical fog, unable to function normally or participate in family life. Many of us were prescribed nearly 10,000 pills annually, with dangerous drug interactions that went unidentified by our doctors. For me and countless others, legal hemp products provided a path to reduce or eliminate these medications. We didn’t seek these alternatives to get high – we sought them to get healthy. To become effective and engaged fathers, mothers, spouses, and community members again. Lt. Governor Patrick has called these products “poison,” but for many veterans, they’ve been the antidote to a system that was slowly poisoning us with endless prescriptions. When I hear rhetoric comparing hemp to “bath salts” or other dangerous street drugs, I cannot reconcile it with my experience or that of my fellow veterans who have found healing through these products.”
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“Tyranny is the oppressive and unjust exercise of power. It’s when government ignores the will of the people to serve its own interests. That’s exactly what LT. Governor Dan Patrick is doing with CSSB 3. He wants to take away a legal option that helps veterans, farmers, and small business owners—not to protect Texans, but to impose his own will.”
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“We support improvements to existing regulations that cover proper testing and clear labeling, and we hope lawmakers don’t lose sight of the people directly affected by the policy debate – particularly those who have sacrificed for this country.”
San Marcos Daily Record, Texas Should Lead on Hemp-based THC Regulations
“Smart regulation should balance public safety, economic freedom, and personal choice – all things Texans treasure. A robust discussion of enforceable measures on THC limits, independent product testing, packaging, licensing, age restrictions and required licensing or registration should be part of the discussion as Texas looks to lead on this issue.
There’s no logical reason to treat hemp-based THC products differently from alcohol. Creating age restrictions and other smart regulations to ensure the safety of these products for Texans is a commonsense approach.”
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“The $8 billion hemp industry should not be relegated to the shadows of the black market and drug cartels, which is, unfortunately, what a ban, as proposed in Senate Bill 5, would do. Kids and families would be far better off with strong and responsible regulation.”
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“An April 2021 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that less than 10 percent of American adults opposed medical or recreational use of cannabis products. More recent surveys have asked Texan voters their views on regulating or banning hemp products. A June 2025 survey of Lone Star voters found 70% agree that THC products should remain available with regulations. Time and again, most Texas residents, across party lines, oppose a comprehensive ban on hemp-derived THC products.”
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Texas Standard, Texas’ hemp producers and sellers say bill would cripple the industry
“The fiscal note for Senate Bill 3, which is the cost to the state, is estimated at $9 million. But if you look at the revenue from the sales and the estimated sales tax, we’re looking at more like over $200 million lost, plus untold costs on enforcing prohibition, which includes arresting individuals who possess this federally legal substance, the cost of prosecuting them, and of course the very real human cost of being saddled with a criminal record.
This is going to cost too much. It’s not gonna provide solutions to the problems that are presented. And we hope lawmakers take a better approach of getting a hold of this market, regulating it well for adult use so that we don’t slip back into an era of prohibition.”
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Wisconsin State Farmer, Republican Senators face off on proposal related to federal hemp regulation in Farm Bill
“The U.S. Hemp Roundtable estimated that McConnell’s amendment would have wiped out over 95 percent of the hemp industry. Any reform, said the farmers’ group, must ensure that the industry has the opportunity to thrive while promoting consumer safety.”
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The Hemp Industry and Farmers of America executive director said that members of Congress like McConnell and Harris who are pushing for increased federal restrictions on hemp are ignoring American farmers and small business owners who depend on this agricultural commodity for their livelihoods. “Before devastating an entire sector that President Trump helped legalize through the 2018 Farm Bill, these lawmakers should sit down with hemp farmers and industry leaders in their states to understand the real-world impact of their proposed overreach,” said Brian Swensen. “Rolling back this progress would crush rural economies and destroy thousands of jobs in communities across America.”
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