Texas THC ban: Most Texans disapprove of SB 3, poll shows
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Cedar Park hemp business react to veto of SB 3
With a last-minute veto of SB 3, local hemp businesses are breathing a sigh of relief.
AUSTIN, Texas - New polling shows that most Texans disapprove of the Texas Legislature's effort to outlaw the production and sale of THC products in the state.
The battle over THC has become a hot-button issue in Texas.
On Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed Senate Bill 3, which would have banned THC products in the state.
Texas THC ban poll
By the numbers:
The poll from the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project asked 1,200 registered Texas voters about several issues, including the production and sale of THC products in the state.
Overall, it found that 53 percent of Texans oppose a THC ban, compared to 31 percent who are for it.
The poll found 68 percent of Democrats opposed the ban, with just 17 percent supporting it.
Among Republicans, 39 percent opposed the ban, compared to 46 percent who said they supported it.
Texas THC ban veto
FULL: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on SB 3 veto
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks after Gov. Greg Abbott announced he had vetoed Senate Bill 3, which would have banned THC products in the state of Texas. Abbott is instead calling for regulations instead of an outright ban. Patrick has been a strong supporter of SB 3.
The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 3 during the regular session.
The bill would have made it illegal to own, manufacture or sell consumable THC products that have popped up on store shelves since a loophole was opened in the 2018 Farm Bill.
READ MORE: US House bill would close loophole that legalized THC products in Texas
The Texas hemp industry now supports an estimated 50,000 jobs and generates $8 billion in annual tax revenue.
Governor Greg Abbott vetoed the controversial bill on Sunday, just hours before a deadline.
GARLAND, TX-JULY 22: DELTA 8 supplements on a shelf inside Hippy Bee Dispensary on Saturday, July 22 2023 in Garland, TX. The Bee Hippy Hemp Dispensary was raided along with the homes of Chris Fagan and David Dranguet an employee at the store by Garl
Abbott, in his explanation for the veto, said Senate Bill 3 would likely face "unsuccessful constitutional challenges" and create a "conflict between federal and state law," given the 2018 federal Farm Bill's legalization of hemp products. He instead called for a special legislative session for July 21, to establish a "regulatory framework that ensures public safety, complies with federal law, includes robust enforcement mechanisms, and can be implemented without delay."
Texas medical marijuana expansion poll
The University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll also asked Texans about expanding the state's medical marijuana program.
54 percent supported the expansion, while just 25 percent of respondents opposed it.
Texas medical marijuana expansion signed into law
Gov. Abbott signed House Bill 46 on Friday, expanding the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP).
The expansion allows for new changes in how THC can be delivered by approving aerosol and vapor products, like vape pens. Current law only allows for products that can be swallowed.
Lt. Gov. Patrick: Veto of Texas THC ban makes medical marijuana expansion ‘worthless’
Abbott signed House Bill 46 on Friday, expanding the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), which Patrick says Sunday’s veto has essentially crippled.
House BIll 46 also increases the number of dispensers in the state and adds traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain, Crohn's disease and terminal illnesses to the list of qualifying conditions.
The Source: Information in this article comes from a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll released on June 25, 2025 and past FOX coverage.