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Dustin Goss is manager of Fort Worth\u2019s World of Smoke & Vape on Bledsoe Street, June 25, 2025. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\nDustin Goss, manager of the World of Smoke & Vape on Bledsoe Street, spent all day June 22 scrolling through X, nervously tracking the fate of Senate Bill 3.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The legislation threatened to ban hemp-derived THC products in Texas, putting half of the shop\u2019s revenue at risk and would have delayed expansion plans, Goss said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With just under an hour before the midnight deadline, Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed SB 3, preventing an immediate shutdown of the state\u2019s hemp industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a not-so-loud veto from the governor, so I didn\u2019t believe it at first,\u201d Goss said. \u201cAfter seeing more posts, I was able to take a sigh of relief.\u201d<\/p>\n
The veto marked a major win for small-business owners who now turn their attention to a special legislative session that starts July 21. New THC restrictions are on the table, but business owners are hoping for balanced regulation as legislators navigate the complex political landscape around hemp products.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Austin Zamhariri, manager of Thrive Apothecary on South Main Street, said the veto brought life and excitement to the hemp industry. However, it\u2019s temporary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before the veto, things felt dire as shops were preparing to dissolve, Zamhariri said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were talking about shutting down all of our locations, liquidating all of our products and getting resumes ready,\u201d Zamhariri said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thrive Apothecary, a Fort Worth-based company with a small staff, was facing a complete shutdown that would have pushed consumers toward the black market, Zamhariri said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThankfully, the governor made the right choice, so we can start looking at real resolutions for the future, as opposed to just getting totally shut down,\u201d Zamhariri said.<\/p>\n
Businesses are cautiously optimistic, but are preparing for more battles as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has made it clear that he\u2019s willing to die on this hill, Zamhariri said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not mad at the governor, but I\u2019m not going to legalize marijuana in Texas,\u201d Patrick said during a news conference following Abbott\u2019s veto. \u201cIf people want to vote me out of office for that, so be it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The veto doesn\u2019t call for celebration as the industry should remain ready to work, negotiate and keep everybody informed, Zamhariri said.<\/p>\n
Dustin Goss is manager of Fort Worth\u2019s World of Smoke & Vape on Bledsoe Street, June 25, 2025. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n
Alex Noriega, owner of Natural Buds, faced a roller coaster of emotions leading up to the governor\u2019s deadline. Expecting the worst, he emotionally prepared himself for disappointment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get to live another day,\u201d Noriega said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, Noriega said he\u2019s focused on expansion without worrying about the family assets tied to his late mother\u2019s house<\/a>, which he used to open the shop.\u00a0<\/p>\n Opening a hemp business with family assets was terrifying because of the uncertainty on what\u2019s on the other side of the hill, Noriega said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fear of decimation was really looming over us,\u201d Noriega said. \u201cWith a ban, we lose everything. I support my family with the money that Natural Buds generates, so a ban would\u2019ve been devastating.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Dozens of states generate billions in revenue from legal adult cannabis sales. Texas can adopt similar successful guidelines for THC, Noriega said.<\/p>\n Child safety, age restrictions and potency caps should be prioritized to address public concerns, Goss said.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his official veto statement, Abbott said SB 3 was well intentioned but legally flawed.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf I were to allow SB 3 to become law, its enforcement would be enjoined for years, leaving existing abuses unaddressed,\u201d Abbott said. \u201cTexas cannot afford to wait.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Patrick expressed frustrations, claiming THC products were destroying families and there was not enough law enforcement to regulate the market and crack down on bad actors.<\/p>\n Regulations have been in place since 2019 through House Bill 1325, Zamhariri said.\u00a0<\/p>\n HB 1325 was signed into law in 2019 and authorizes the production, manufacture, retail sale and inspection of industrial hemp crops and products, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture<\/a>.<\/p>\n As Patrick seeks a ban again, Zamhariri said he\u2019s excited to return to the Legislature and work with lawmakers on regulations for the hemp industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n Business owners like him, he said, depend on it.<\/p>\n Orlando Torres is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at orlando.torres@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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