In the News

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Fox 7 Austin (7/28/2025)  

"We're surprised to see that the Senate didn't take up any bills today," said Heather Fazio with the Texas Cannabis Policy Center.

Fazio spoke to FOX 7 Austin about what the delay could mean.

"It's good news that the Senate has more time to consider SB 5. The bill is flawed deeply. It misses the mark when it comes to the governor's mandate to the legislature to regulate, not ban THC. So, this gives them more time to decide on amendments and to work out details of the Bill," said Fazio.

MySA (7/24/2025) Speaking of the new bill, Heather Fazio, the director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center — which advocates for sensible cannabis policies in the Lone Star State — told MySA via email, "We are disappointed to see Sen. Perry continue with his efforts to pass an outright ban on hemp-derived THC. He and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are out of touch with the vast majority of [Texans] who favor regulation, rather than prohibition."

Fazio added that SB 5 "misses the mark" in terms of what Abbott asked for when he initially vetoed SB 3, and what the governor echoed when speaking to reporters on Tuesday, July 22, saying he supports access to consumable hemp products for adults ages 21 and older, and a cap on how much THC can be in each product — not a total ban on THC.

Marijuana Moment (7/24/2025) Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, told Marijuana Moment that advocates welcome HB 195’s introduction for the special session.

“As we continue the conversation about hemp regulation, we appreciate Rep. Gonzalez’s bill to simply legalize and regulate cannabis across the board,” Fazio said. “Her bill cuts to the chase: cannabis should be legal for adult use. Not more arrests. No more criminal records. And no more confusing policies. Just safe, legal cannabis in Texas.”

EL PAÍS (7/24/2025) Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, considers the new bill a dangerous step backward, as it “criminalizes the simple possession of products that are federally legal and widely available.” 

“Texans should not be arrested or prosecuted for possessing legal hemp products,” the representative of the organization, which promotes responsible cannabis policies and sensible reforms, told this newspaper.

Marijuana Moment (7/23/2025) Heather Fazio, a cannabis reform advocate and director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, criticized the renewed effort in an email Monday to Marijuana Moment.

“It seems clear that the Senate is committed to empowering the illicit market by prohibiting the legal sale of THC,” she wrote. “They would prefer drug dealers profit rather than licensed and regulated businesses.”

KVUE News (6/23/2025) Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, also praised the governor’s veto.

“We are deeply grateful to Gov. Abbott for listening to the people of Texas and recognizing that regulation is a better approach to ensuring public health safety,” Fazio said in a statement emailed to KVUE. “This is a win for freedom and free markets.”

Fazio urged lawmakers to support “sensible, enforceable regulation” during the special session, including age limits, labeling, potency caps and enforcement.

Dallas Observer (6/23/2025) “With the right framework — focused on age limits, labeling, potency caps and enforcement — Texas can protect consumers without sacrificing liberty or economic opportunity,” said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center. 

“Abbott’s decision is a powerful stand against fear-driven policymaking and a signal that Texas will not be dragged backward. Instead, the state can lead with smart, fair and forward-looking cannabis policy.”

Texas Observer (6/10/2025) Rather than eliminate demand, [Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center] said that buyers would instead turn to the black market. “These products are legal, either cannabis or hemp, in all 49 other states so there’s no shortage of supply. So now what you’ve done is shift the demand from the legal market to the illegal market,” she said. 

“Who loves this the most are criminals and the cartels, because all the profit just got put right into their pockets.”

KVUE News (5/28/2025) [Heather Fazio with the Texas Cannabis Policy Center]  believes regulation is the best path to safety. That's the approach the House initially took, before reverting to a ban passed by the Senate after pressure from Patrick.

"Prohibition has not worked ever," Fazio said. "Regulation is the only way to ensure public health and safety; there's a better way forward. Prohibition just isn't it."

KVUE News (5/27/2025) Heather Fazio, director of Texas Cannabis Policy Center, said on Tuesday she’s optimistic the governor is taking the decision seriously.

“We know that he’s receiving phone calls, emails,” said Fazio. “There’s a petition that has almost 60,000 signatures just in the last week calling on him to veto this bill.”

Fazio and other advocates tried to deliver a letter urging a veto of Senate Bill 3 to Abbott at the state Capitol on Tuesday, but his public reception room was closed.

The group visited the offices of lawmakers who voted against the bill to drop off thank you cards. They also thanked Rep. Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston) in person after crossing paths in the hallway.

Fazio believes regulation is the best path to safety.

Texas Tribune (5/23/2025) “It's very difficult to even be able to isolate CBD in a way that completely eradicates every other element of the plant,” said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center. “This is a very tall order for a company to reach compliance, and there are going to be very few manufacturers that are able to hit these targets. There's going to be far less CBD available to Texas consumers because of the unreasonably strict standards that have been placed in this bill.”

Opponents of the ban say completely banning THC products, rather than regulating them, could push consumers to seek unsafe alternatives.

“By doing that, the state hands over any opportunity they have to ensure consumer protection, to keep these products away from young people and to hold accountable suppliers of potentially bad product,” Fazio said.

Dallas Morning News (5/23/2025) "There are a lot of businesses that specialize in the sale of hemp products,” said Heather Fazio, director, Texas Cannabis Policy Center. “They’ve been operating for years now, and this change will absolutely devastate their livelihood.”

“So now businesses are going to have to decide: Is it worth it to create a whole business around selling isolated CBD or CBG?” Fazio said. “Frankly, there isn’t much of a market for it, and CBD, when it does work, it’s because it works in concert with all of the other minor cannabinoids within the plant.”

POLITICO (5/22/2025) “Businesses 'are going to be wiped out,' said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, one of the most vocal opponents of the ban bill. 'This is especially unfair because this industry has been allowed to thrive for six years.'”

Possessing non-compliant hemp products is punishable by up to one year in jail under the bill. “Sadly, we’re going to see many, many thousands of people arrested between now and the next legislative session for possession of a federally legal product,” said Fazio.

Marijuana Moment (5/19/2025) Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center said in an email to Marijuana Moment, for example, that it was unfortunate the substitute bill wasn’t ready for the hearing, which would have enabled more robust debate.

“It was refreshing to hear Sen. Perry confirm that cannabis is medicine, but we’re concerned he may strip HB 46 of good provisions that expand the program for broader patient access,” she said. “Patients have suffered long enough without full access to medical cannabis medicine. It’s unconscionable that the Senate may let another legislative session pass without allowing access to cannabis for those with chronic, debilitating pain.”

Chron.com (5/12/2025) Heather Fazio, director of Texas Cannabis Policy Center, said this comprehensive program expansion has been "a long time coming." 

"Since its inception, TCUP has been unreasonably restrictive for both patients and operators," Fazio wrote in an emailed statement. "We applaud Chairman King and the Texas House for taking a real step toward a more inclusive program for sick Texans." 

Houston Chronicle (4/7/2025) Heather Fazio, director of Texas Cannabis Policy Center—a coalition of organizations that advocates for policy reform—said she saw a lot more curiosity from House committee members than in the Senate hearing. 

"Most importantly, I think that they're recognizing that to regulate and allow hemp products in beverages while criminalizing people for eating them in gummies, for example, just doesn't make sense," Fazio said. 

Austin Chronicle (4/4/2025) “While the Senate eagerly passed SB 3, a draconian bill to ban all THC and effectively shut down the hemp industry, the House is more inclined to support regulation,” explains Heather Fazio, director for the Texas Cannabis Policy Center. 

“We’ve worked for years to help them understand the harm caused by cannabis prohibition and we’re optimistic that our representatives will pass a bill that better reflects the people of Texas.”

Marijuana Moment (3/19/2025) “Concerns about semi-synthetic THC can be directly addressed through regulatory enforcement and by legalizing natural cannabis,” Heather Fazio, director of the group, said. “It is Texas’s commitment to prohibition that has created this market for converted cannabinoids in the first place.”

“If lawmakers are serious about protecting consumers, the logical step is to legalize and properly regulate botanical cannabis with naturally occurring THC, rather than enacting broad bans that drive demand for illicit alternatives,” she said.

Lone Star Live (3/18/2025) Hemp advocates in the Lone Star State continue to sound the alarm on Senate Bill 3. Heather Fazio, the director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, slammed the Texas Legislature for “resorting to a failed prohibitionist approach.”

“We recognize the need for stronger regulations to protect consumers and prevent underage access, but prohibition is not the answer,” Fazio said in a news release. “Banning these products will not eliminate demand — it will only drive sales into the illicit market, where there are no safety standards, ID checks, or oversight.”

Texas Standard (3/13/2025) SB3 would ban the sale of consumable THC products, but cannabis reform advocates worry it would have far-reaching – and expensive – consequences. Heather Fazio, director of the marijuana reform advocacy group Texas Cannabis Policy Center, spoke with the Standard’s Angela Kocherga to explain why the hemp industry opposes the bill.

"The solution is not prohibition. We know from many years of history that prohibition simply doesn’t work. Instead, what we’d like to see instituted are sensible regulations..."

Marijuana Moment (2/26/2025) “As a former prosecutor, Speaker Pro Tem Moody knows first-hand how cannabis arrests negatively impact the court system and derail the lives of peaceful cannabis consumers,” Fazio told Marijuana Moment in an email. “Moody remains a stalwart champion of cannabis law reform,” Fazio said this week. “His House Bill 3242 would institute statewide decriminalization, freeing Texans from unreasonably harsh penalties and patchwork local policy.”

Marijuana Moment (2/06/2025) Heather Fazio, of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, echoed those sentiments, writing in an email that “now is the time to institute better regulations, rather than sending us back to an era of prohibition.”

“There’s certainly a need for improved regulations, like age restrictions, but this multibillion-dollar industry reflects free enterprise, not exploitation,” Fazio said. She also called the survey question about banning THC “misleading” for suggesting that hemp products are entirely unregulated. “In fact, consumable products are regulated at the state and federal levels,” she said.

Houston Chronicle (2/05/2025) The discrepancy suggests some public confusion about the nature of THC, which is the primary cannabinoid in both marijuana and hemp that produces a "high," said Heather Fazio, director of [the Texas Cannabis Policy Center]. “The inconsistent polling numbers show that Texans are confused about cannabis policy, and that our laws are inconsistent and ineffective,” Fazio said. “What is clear is that Texans oppose prohibition.”

National Public Radio - NPR (1/13/2025)  "Don't take hemp-derived consumables away from us, something that works, something that helps," says Mitch Fuller, Chairman of the VFW National Legislative Committee and a veteran of the Iraq War. Like many veterans, he wants access to cheap, potent cannabis to treat his PTSD from combat duty. Don't take that option away from us," he continues, "and force us into the Texas compassionate use program if we don't want to use (medical) marijuana."

Spectrum News (12/12/2024)  "The initiative comes after lawmakers in 2019 passed a bipartisan bill allowing the sale of consumable hemp products in Texas, just one year after hemp was legalized nationwide through the 2018 Farm Bill.

Since then, thousands of dispensaries have sprung up across the state. According to a report from the Texas Tribune, the number of active retail registrations for consumable hemp in Texas jumped from 1,948 in 2020 to 7,700 in early 2024."

Houston Chronicle (12/07/2024) Heather Fazio, the director of [the Texas Cannabis Policy Center] —a coalition of organizations and activities that advocate for policy reform—said state lawmakers need to redirect their attention to further regulation, not an outright ban. 

"The bottom line is that prohibition has never worked, and this cat is not going back into the bag. We [will] hand over the industry to the illicit market, where we have no opportunity to regulate these products for consumer protection," Fazio noted. "The state is going to have to take a reasonable and more sensible approach to establishing and regulating this industry effectively."

Houston Chronicle (12/5/2024)  “While we share their concern about youth access and potentially dangerous products sailing under the radar of regulators, we oppose banning cannabis for responsible adult use,” said Heather Fazio, co-founder of [the Texas Cannabis Policy Center]. “Such a ban would hand this multi-billion dollar industry over to the illicit market, abandoning all opportunity to properly regulate the industry."