Texas lawmakers are debating the future of hemp-derived products, but incoming State Commander of the Texas VFW Dave Walden is urging them to protect what he calls a “lifeline” for thousands of Texas veterans.
In a sharply worded op-ed titled Texas Veterans Deserve the Freedom to Choose Their Own Path to Healing, Walden argues that legislation like Committee Substitute Senate Bill 3 (CSSB 3) could roll back critical access to legal products that have allowed veterans to regain control of their health and lives.
“When I returned from combat in Iraq,” Walden wrote, “the VA prescribed me a ‘cocktail’ of medications – more than 20 pills daily. I found myself trapped in a pharmaceutical fog, unable to function normally or participate in family life.”
Legal hemp products, he said, offered him and many others a path away from dependency on opioids and antidepressants.
Walden criticized Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s (R) rhetoric, saying, “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.”
Proud to stand with the @TexasVFW. pic.twitter.com/2w39l9cwlh
— Texas Cannabis Collective (@txcannaco) May 20, 2025
CSSB 3 restricts access to hemp-derived consumables, and it could have far-reaching consequences not only for public health but for small businesses and Texas farmers.
“Tyranny isn’t always loud,” Walden warned. “Sometimes, it hides in legislation like this—silencing veterans, destroying jobs, and forcing people back into a system that failed them.”
The Texas VFW supports enhanced regulation, such as product testing and labeling, but it opposes outright prohibition.
Walden praised the Texas House’s more balanced approach and highlighted recent wins, including the passage of HB 46, which expands the Compassionate Use Program, and HB 3717, which calls for studying the psychedelic Ibogaine.
“We’re not asking for special treatment,” Walden concluded. “Just the freedom to choose safe, legal options that help us be our best selves.”
