Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is furious that Gov. Greg Abbott won’t go full prohibition on THC, unloading a 2,000-word tirade Friday that makes D.A.R.E. pamphlets look subtle. But don’t worry — Patrick insists this is not “a personal fight with the governor,” just a “disagreement on extremely important policy.”
Yep, just a completely normal, not-at-all-personal rant accusing Abbott of greenlighting what he essentially described as dangerous, brain-melting “irreversible damage” to children’s brains… via gummies.
For background, Abbott this week issued an executive order banning THC sales to minors, directing state agencies to tighten enforcement, and setting the stage for a regulatory framework. Basically: Card kids at the counter, slap some labels on gummies, and let agencies figure out the rest.
“The governor mentions in his executive order that he wants people 21 and over to ‘enjoy’ THC,” Patrick wrote, in his tirade. “For most people who buy these products, ‘enjoy’ means getting high. If they are not getting high, why are they buying any THC product?”
Patrick has called THC products a “poison in our public” and wants nothing less than a scorched-earth ban. In his release, he accused the governor of giving the THC industry the “state seal of approval” and warned that kids will still be gobbling mislabeled Delta-8 sold at shops conveniently near schools — despite the fact that many retailers in the state already prohibited sales to minors and check identification for that express purpose. Patrick, however, also cited undercover cops in Dallas who claimed smoke shop clerks warn customers the products could literally kill them.
Patrick rattled off all the ways Abbott’s order supposedly fails: no ban on Delta-8 or Delta-10 THC products, no ban on smokables, no limit on potencies, no restriction on location.
“We have age limits on alcohol and cigarettes, but we know that does not stop kids from getting them either,” said Patrick, with no evidence. “The difference here is that one highly potent THC product can cause irreversible damage to a young person’s mind forever.”
It’s the latest clash between the state’s top two Republicans. Abbott wants regulation, Patrick wants prohibition, and the Legislature couldn’t agree on anything despite three separate Senate-passed bans dying in the House.
THC folks, however, are thrilled. One producer, Hometown Hero, even called Abbott’s order “huge for our industry.” Legislation on age restrictions had received significant backing from the industry, including the The Texas Hemp Business Council, according to the Texas Tribune.
So Texans are left with the same hemp loophole, Abbott gets to pose as a problem-solver, and Patrick gets another chance to swear he’s totally not fighting with the governor while … fighting with the governor. Stay tuned!