Abbott’s Executive Order on THC Sparks Conservative Showdown
Texas’s increasingly controversial hemp-derived THC market has come front and center yet again—this time sparking strong words and renewed energy from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R-TX). After Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) unveiled a fresh executive order on THC regulations, Patrick fired back with concerns that echo across the conservative grassroots, framing the move as a dangerous legitimization of the state’s sprawling, unregulated THC industry. With nearly 8,000 retailers now peddling everything from gummies to drinks packed with psychoactive compounds, grassroots Texans are right to be worried that the state’s regulatory arm is falling short of the Texas standard for protecting families, communities, and children from unintended consequences.
Governor Abbott’s executive order moves quickly where the legislature failed—banning the sale of hemp-derived THC products to individuals under 21, requiring all retailers to implement government-issued ID verification for age checks, and giving state agencies the green light to further crack down on retailers who skirt the rules. As a result, shops failing to comply could lose their licenses and be booted from the market entirely according to the new directives. Abbott claimed these were necessary steps after the Texas legislature repeatedly gridlocked, unable to decide what defined a safe serving size or non-intoxicating strength for legal THC-infused products (CBS News Texas, 2025-09-12).
Lt. Gov. Patrick has made it clear that, for him, the issue is about protecting Texas families, not picking political fights—stressing, “This is not a personal disagreement with Governor Abbott, but a commitment to protecting Texans from the consequences of a runaway THC market.”
The fight against the so-called “green wave” has exposed deep rifts within Texas GOP leadership, and Patrick argues that the executive order is not a solution but a surrender, essentially putting a state seal of approval on an industry he and many conservative voters hoped to shut down outright. Industry heads, like Lukas Gilkey of Hometown Hero, have been quick to celebrate the order, claiming a victory in their campaign to resist bans and keep THC commerce alive and well in Texas’s marketplace (CBS News Texas, 2025-09-12).
For Patrick and Texas’s America First conservatives, this is hardly a victory. Rather, the order represents a regulatory halfway measure: neither ban nor broad legalization, but a move that legitimizes and entrenches what many see as an open door to intoxication and abuse. Patrick remains clear—only a total ban can truly protect Texas’s youth and ensure public safety as intended.
Regulatory Response and Rising Industry: Tension in Texas Policy Circles
The scope of the issue in Texas cannot be understated. The rapid rise of nearly 8,000 hemp-derived THC retailers since the 2019 legalization of consumable hemp products has shocked community leaders and law enforcement. The spread of THC gummies, sodas, snacks, and even vape cartridges into mainstream outlets is, for many, the prime example of unintended regulatory failure. For conservatives, this expansion undermines the values that form the bedrock of Texas’s identity—self-reliance, public safety, and the rights of parents to protect their children from drug influences.
Abbott’s executive order mandates immediate changes. Retailers must check IDs for all purchases, with any failure opening the door to license revocation. State agencies, especially those that regulate alcohol and drugs, have been tasked with ramping up enforcement and even creating new rules for the hemp-derived THC sector. This is not just bureaucratic box-ticking—it represents a real tightening of oversight with the threat of losing licenses now looming large for noncompliance (CBS News Texas, 2025-09-12).
But as industry figures publicly celebrate regulatory clarity as a green light, conservatives are asking tough questions about who benefits. Is Texas supporting small business innovation or opening the gates to marijuana-normalization under another name? Patrick insists it’s the latter, repeatedly slamming the executive order as a hollow victory for the cannabis lobby and a significant loss for the parent-driven, child-protective conservative movement.
Industry leaders have described Abbott’s order as ‘legitimization’ of their products after efforts to ban their businesses failed. For conservatives like Patrick, this is the very problem—a state blessing to a controversial sector that most wanted gone.
Observers on the ground point to the patchwork history of regulation and enforcement. As grassroots Texans and business owners have lobbied for sensible boundaries—or outright prohibition—state legislators spent multiple sessions stymied by competing definitions of what’s “intoxicating,” how to assess safe serving sizes, and whether to draw a line at all. The absence of legislative consensus left room for executive action, but Patrick’s stance is that this half-measure leaves the door wide open for future abuse (Houston Chronicle, 2025-09-12).
It’s no wonder, then, that Texas conservatives—who have rallied to President Trump’s America First policies across every policy battlefield—are watching this Texas tussle closely. The sense is that the only sure and lasting safeguard is to follow Patrick’s lead and push hard for robust, ban-focused legislation in the next session.
Legislative Gridlock, Federal Loopholes, and Conservative Solutions
To understand today’s Texas THC dilemma, one needs a historical perspective on the passage of the federal 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp and, unintentionally, created a backdoor for psychoactive products across red states. Following that federal change, the 2019 Texas law unleashed a gold rush of hemp-derived THC products—never the intention of most Texas lawmakers. Critics warn this patchwork approach, exacerbated by federal overreach and lack of local control, has left families vulnerable and forced the hand of the executive in places like Texas.
The legislature’s repeated stumbles in setting clear regulatory lines reflect deeper divides among Texas policymakers. Despite clear calls from parents, public health advocates, and law enforcement, Texas lawmakers have failed to reach agreement on safe concentration levels, serving sizes, or even a non-intoxicating limit. Conservative leaders like Patrick, who has made a THC ban a signature plank, see this indecision as a key driver of today’s THC market boom and the need for more assertive, America First-aligned action (Houston Chronicle, 2025-09-12).
Abbott’s executive order is meant as an interim response—closing what many see as a loophole until the legislature can act—but the big question remains whether it will prove a stopgap or a step in the wrong direction for Texas’s future.
Parents and grassroots activists want nothing less than ironclad protections—something only full legislative action can provide. With the 2026 Texas legislative session on the horizon, conservatives can expect renewed battles on the House and Senate floor, led by figures like Patrick pushing for firm bans and refusing to cede cultural ground to a booming, THC-fueled market. The stakes could not be higher: protecting the Texas way of life and keeping American children safe from unwanted chemical influences. Anything short of a full ban, in the eyes of many, is just not enough.
For Texas’s America First patriots, the real victory will be won only when state policy puts families, community safety, and local values ahead of commerce and out-of-state interests. Until then, every conservative must stay engaged—and keep fighting the regulatory battles that matter.