SB 3 Goes Up in Smoke After Governor Abbott Vetoes Bill

In a move that pits him against Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R), Governor Greg Abbott (R) has vetoed Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), rejecting a sweeping ban on THC products. Instead, Governor Abbott has called on lawmakers to attend a special session and focus on regulating the hemp industry.

The veto, which was announced before the deadline Sunday night, halts a top legislative priority of Lt. Gov. Patrick, who had made the bill one of his “top five” of the session. SB 3 would have outlawed all consumable hemp products containing THC, including popular items like delta-8 and delta-9 gummies and vapes.

“Texas must enact a regulatory framework that protects public safety, aligns with federal law, has a fully funded enforcement structure and can take effect without delay,” Governor Abbott said in a statement, warning that the bill would not survive constitutional scrutiny and would have led to court challenges. “If Senate Bill 3 is swiftly enjoined by a court, our children will be no safer than if no law was passed.”

The governor’s pivot from prohibition to regulation sets the stage for a conflict with the lt. governor, who criticized the veto as abandoning families that have been harmed by high-potency THC.

“I feel especially bad for those who testified and poured their hearts out on their tragic losses,” Lt. Governor Patrick said on social media.

The veto preserves an $8 billion-a-year Texas hemp industry that supports 50,000 jobs. Advocates for regulation, including military veterans and chronic pain patients, argued that hemp products offer a safe alternative to opioids and that responsible oversight is a better approach.

Governor Abbott called for rules similar to alcohol laws, which includes barring sales to minors, funding enforcement, and empowering local governments to ban THC sales.

The Texas Hemp Business Council praised the governor for vetoing the bill, writing: “Governor Abbott showed real leadership today. Texas is stronger for it.”

The special session begins July 21.