Senate Bill 3 was approved by the State Affairs Committee last week. The bill is now on the Senate’s Intent Calendar with eligibility for a vote TOMORROW, March 19! If passed, SB 3 will be sent to the House for further consideration. (Click here for a refresher on the legislative process.)
TAKE ACTION: Contact your senator’s office!
-
Send a quick email to your legislators in opposition to SB 3.
-
Call your senator to express your opposition to SB 3. Click here to look up your state senator’s phone number. Here’s an example of what you might say when you call:
“Hello, my name is _______. I’m a constituent calling about an important bill that will be up for a vote soon. I’m calling to express my strong opposition to SB 3, the bill that would ban hemp THC products. I support regulations to protect young people, but I’m very concerned about the negative impact of prohibition. Our state will be safer if we choose to regulate these products, rather than criminalizing possession of these federally legal products. Please vote NO on SB 3.”
REMINDER: Be sure to remain respectful and thank your senator for their service to your district.
Senator Charles Perry’s controversial Senate Bill 3 includes some good changes to the law, but sadly, it also re-criminalizes THC, sending Texas back to an era of prohibition.
Senate Bill 3 aims to significantly restrict the legal market for hemp products by banning THC and nearly all other cannabinoids. If passed into law, the bill would allow consumable hemp products to include only cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabigerol (CBG). The bill would also institute age restrictions for all consumable hemp products and require child-resistant packaging. Marketing and advertising would be limited as to not appeal to children and no products with any amount of any cannabinoid can be sold within 1,000 feet of a school.
We share the senator’s concern about youth access and potentially dangerous products sailing under the radar of regulators, but we oppose banning THC for responsible adult use. Such a ban would hand this multi-billion dollar industry over to the illicit market, abandoning all opportunity to enforce regulations.
Rather than dismantling a thriving sector of the Texas economy, refining regulations would enhance safety while supporting Texas businesses and fostering innovation in hemp-derived cannabinoids.