The Texas Legislature will convene from January 14 to June 2, 2025. The political landscape for cannabis in Texas has changed dramatically in recent years, creating exciting progress, unique challenges, and new opportunities.
Our state is now home to a multi-billion-dollar cannabis industry, with more than 7,000 licensed businesses serving responsible consumers across Texas. Legal cannabis is a hit!
Since beginning our work together 10 years ago, we’ve seen arrests and convictions for cannabis plummet! This welcome shift means fewer Texans are being saddled with criminal records, law enforcement has more time to focus on serious crimes, and consumers are migrating from the illicit market to the legal market.
While this meaningful progress should certainly be celebrated, important regulations must still be enacted to protect consumers and restrict youth access. Critically, regulators must be provided the resources necessary to properly enforce these regulations and ensure industry accountability.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Senator Charles Perry want to “Ban All THC!” Reinstating prohibition would push consumers back to the illicit market, economically devastate thousands of Texas businesses (and their families!), and overwhelm law enforcement with cannabis arrests.
As I told a reporter last week, “The bottom line is that prohibition has never worked, and this cat is not going back into the bag.”
Our path to establishing a legal market for cannabis has been quite different from most states, and the upcoming legislative session is sure to be profoundly consequential for the future of cannabis in Texas.
TAKE ACTION: Contact Your Legislators in Support of a Safe and Legal Market for Cannabis