Texas lawmakers have passed legislation that would effectively ban consumable hemp products containing any amount of THC, sending the measure to Gov. Greg Abbott for his consideration.
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. Hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant, contains trace amounts.
"This is poisonous. THC -- no regulations whatsoever. No one knows what's in it," he said.
"Just in the last three years, over 8,000 plus smoke shops and vape shops have opened up in Texas," he said.
"We can't regulate it. We don't have enough police to check every store," Patrick said. "It's an $8 billion industry. They're making it off the backs of our children and young adults, and their lives are going to be changed forever. Schizophrenia, paranoia, suicide."
Steve Dye, chief of Allen Police Department, added that "products containing synthetic THC variants are incorrectly tested and intentionally mislabeled by out-of-state laboratories over which Texas law enforcement has zero oversight and enforcement."
Critics of the ban argue that the bill "carves out a narrow exemption for hemp research at institutions of higher education," choosing "criminalization over regulation."
The list of qualifying medical conditions is expanding to include chronic pain and other ailments, and permitting different product forms like approved inhalers and vaping devices.
A more recent 2025 report from Whitney Economics states the industry generated $5.5 billion in annual sales and had an overall economic impact of $10.3 billion, supporting over 53,300 jobs.
Industry leaders have stated they plan to file a lawsuit to challenge the ban, arguing it will eliminate tens of thousands of jobs and strip billions from the state's economy.
Some retailers anticipate being forced to close or move their operations out of state if the ban is enacted.