Texans Deserve Choice, Not a Monopoly: Texas Hemp Business Council Urges Lawmakers to Defeat SB 5

[PRESS RELEASE] – AUSTIN, Texas, July 28, 2025 – The Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) issued the following statement:

“As S.B. 5 heads to the Senate floor during the special session of the 89th Texas Legislature, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Senators Charles Perry and Roland Gutierrez are actively looking to gift-wrap the entire cannabis market to a few select state-licensed [medical] marijuana companies, one of which already controls over 75% of the market.

“Their claim that the restrictive Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) can replace hemp-derived cannabinoids is misleading and dangerous. 

“TCUP currently serves just over 100,000 patients and requires registration, physician prescriptions, higher prices and fewer options. While H.B. 46 was an attempt to improve the program, it does little to expand real access to a restrictive and expensive TCUP program that serves an entirely different purpose than hemp.

“Meanwhile, hemp is legal and regulated under federal and state law and serves millions of adult consumers and veterans who rely on affordable, accessible alternatives for wellness, pain relief and more.

“S.B. 5 would destroy a $10 billion industry that supports over 53,000 jobs and eliminate economic opportunity for thousands of small business owners across the state. All being done under the false flag of ‘safety,’ while the real goal is market control by a politically connected few. This isn’t about protecting public health; it’s about protecting a monopoly. 

“Governor Abbott’s veto message was clear: Regulate hemp responsibly; don’t ban it. Texans deserve choice, not coercion. S.B. 5 is prohibition disguised as policy, and lawmakers should reject it. Public opinion, economic data and common sense all point in the same direction: This is a manufactured crisis driven by special interests, not public demand.

“At a time when Texas faces real and pressing challenges like strengthening flood warning systems, redistricting and providing meaningful property tax relief, some Senate leaders are spending this special session pushing a hemp ban Texans clearly don’t want. It’s a clear example of misplaced priorities and misguided policies.

“That’s why THBC and the vast majority of Texans strongly support a common-sense alternative that includes 21-plus age limits, child-resistant packaging and setbacks from schools. It’s the right path forward for public safety, economic freedom and the future of hemp in Texas.”