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Gov. Abbott Is Apparently About to Ban THC for Texans Under 21

Brian Gaar

Brian Gaar

— 2 min read
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Gov. Abbott Is Apparently About to Ban THC for Texans Under 21
Credit: Brandon Bell / Getty Images

UPDATE: Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Wednesday directing state agencies to ban THC product sales to minors, though he didn't specify an age threshold. He also directed agencies to strengthen enforcement of existing regulations, while also launching a review of labeling, testing, and licensing rules. The order calls for agencies to work together on a broader regulatory framework modeled on recent legislation.


Texas lawmakers spent weeks fighting over THC like it was the last brisket plate at Franklin’s, only to adjourn their special session with nothing to show for it but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s sulk-face.

Now, Gov. Greg Abbott has decided to issue an executive order and pretend it was all part of the plan.

According to the Texas Tribune, Abbott is preparing to slap age restrictions and other rules on THC products after the Legislature failed to deliver.

The outlet reported that sources within Abbott’s office confirmed the order would come down “soon,” but the governor has declined to comment on the record. Patrick wanted an outright ban, but that has failed repeatedly to pass. Now Abbott is angling for a “regulatory framework” like the one he hinted at in his June veto letter.

So what’s in the new rules?

  • Minimum age of 21 to buy THC (sorry, college sophomores).
  • ID checks at the counter (because nothing says “Texas freedom” like showing your license for a watermelon gummy).
  • Distance requirements from schools (though liquor stores are still welcome to hang out across the street).
  • Testing, labeling, and new fees (because someone’s gotta pay for this charade).

In short, Abbott wants THC regulated like liquor, which would keep THC products out of supermarkets and other stores. Consider it a bailout for Big Booze, just in time for declining alcohol sales.

“Stay tuned,” Abbott teased last week when asked whether he’d wait until 2027 for a THC bill.

Translation: Abbott wasn’t willing to give Patrick his ban, but he also wasn’t about to let lawmakers leave town without some kind of moral victory.

So instead, Texans get new hoops to jump through, college kids lose their gummy stash, and the governor gets to say he solved a problem no one outside the Capitol was really asking him to fix.

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