The Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services convened Tuesday to gather testimony that will inform future legislation targeting THC products sold statewide. No vote was taken; the session was strictly informational.
Lawmakers invoked 1980s-era "Just Say No" rhetoric and the frying-pan-and-brain analogy to argue THC harms young people's mental health. No general public comment period was offered, though invited witnesses spoke — five of whom have publicly opposed THC products, including Allen Police Chief Steve Dye and Aubree Adams, director of Citizens for Safe and Healthy Texas.
Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, confirmed he will again file legislation banning consumable hemp products next session, invoking Nancy Reagan's anti-drug campaign as vindication.
Adams told the committee: "They call fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction. I disagree. Fentanyl is a weapon of mass death. THC is a weapon of mass destruction, causing chemical injuries to the brain from the body."
Committee chair Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, cited Texas Department of Family and Protective Services figures: 1,559 infants tested positive for THC at birth in fiscal 2024, rising to 1,896 in 2025. Dr. Matthew Rossheim of the University of North Texas Health Science Center linked easier product access to more harm, and experts also pointed to rising THC-related poison control calls.
Katharine Neill Harris, a drug policy fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute, pushed back on lawmakers conflating cannabis use with mental illness and homelessness: "THC can increase the risk for psychosis or psychotic episodes in those who are predisposed to or have a history of such conditions. This is different from saying that THC causes psychosis in an otherwise healthy individual." She urged investment in accessible treatment.
The hearing's tone contrasted with remarks earlier this year by Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, and Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, who favored regulation over prohibition after last year's ban attempt was vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott instead directed the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and DSHS to tighten rules.
DSHS regulations effective March 31 require child-resistant packaging, raise manufacturer licensing fees from $258 to $10,000 and retail fees from $155 to $5,000, codify the age-21 purchase minimum, and mandate new testing measuring total THC content — effectively banning THCA flower and pre-rolled joints exceeding 0.3%.
Perry praised the fee hikes as a way to shutter hemp businesses: "The cost of doing business is going to get so high that most of them will go out of business, I hope."