A sign above the beverage cooler at Urban Flower, a CBD and THC dispensary in Houston.
Last week, I asked readers whether the Texas Legislature should ban THC products. After changes to federal and state laws, dispensaries have opened up across the state selling products derived from hemp. While marijuana is not legal, it doesn't seem that way anymore. Though many cannabis products are now widely available, stopping their sale is top priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Of the 131 of you who responded, the overwhelming majority, more than 120, clearly opposed any law that would remove products currently on Texas shelves. Many — including a great-grandma and an evangelical missionary — say they rely on CBD products for pain relief, anxiety or insomnia.
Here, edited for length and clarity, is some of what you told me.
Anne Elizabeth Geyer, concerned citizen: Oh, for heaven’s sake! It should’ve been legalized years ago. I know so many people who use it for medicinal purposes or just to chill out. How is it any different than a glass of wine? And probably even less harmful!
Angele Johnson, Harris County resident: Firearms, which have proliferated ridiculously in Texas, cause far more deaths, and I don't see the governor or lieutenant governor saying anything about criminalizing guns. I am in my mid-60s and have smoked or ingested edibles since I was in my 20s. This is another diversion, as the Republican Party continues to strip rights away from people, particularly Black and brown folks.
Ida Franklin, light recreational user: Ban THC? Hell no! Texas needs to come party with all the states that have already legalized it.
Mark Dominey, evangelical pastor and missionary: Cannabis should be legal already because polls show most Texans want that. As a chronic pain victim, with akylosing spondylitis, I currently have to rely on opioids, but cannabis could help me more safely and is not addictive. I would like that option. Get Dan Patrick out of my medical care.
Christal Wilson, heartbroken and angry: A ban would save lives. My loved one has been in a THC-induced psychosis three time, twice in mental facilities. She used THC to manage anxiety and suffered much worse than her anxiety. Her brain is not the same. People have no idea how dangerous this garbage is.
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Matt Poling, family physician: I have seen addiction, suicidality and serious mental-health injuries from the chemical alphabet soup of THC products being pushed — not just in teens but also young adults. Sometimes they get better, and sometimes they do not. These dealers are going to kill the Texas Compassionate Use Program, where lower-risk THC products are dispensed under medical supervision.
Teresa Gonzales, concerned relative. The Texas Compassionate Use Program benefited a loved one. The medical marijuana program is thoroughly regulated and its products go through a quality control process that the hemp THC products do not. I would hate for anyone who’s sick with an immunocompromised system not to have the benefit of a quality-controlled medicinal marijuana product.
Maricruz Woelfel, heartbroken mother: Texas should ban all synthetic THC products. My son was a healthy and productive young adult until he fell for the deceitful tactics of this predatory industry. I know other families with loved ones suffering from cannabis-induced psychosis or cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome because of the potency of these substances.
Kelli King-Jackson, concerned family member: Cannabis should be legal for adults in Texas. My husband is a veteran, and my adult child has chronic health issues. Both would benefit from safe, affordable cannabis options in Texas. That said, I do not want Texas to become like California, where you cannot go anywhere without smelling cannabis.
Michael D. Mercer, Houston criminal defense attorney: It is troubling to witness my clients suffer the consequences of a criminal record on their livelihood. Jails and court dockets are already overcrowded. Why make this worse by placing nonviolent marijuana offenders in the mix? The vast majority of these cases get dismissed, so why even flood the courts with these cases in the first place?
Robert Mack, pragmatic 77-year-old. THC is far less harmful than a gun, and most anyone with a pulse can buy a gun in this state. As to Patrick's argument that someone 21 or older can buy for a minor: How have Texas laws stopped people from buying liquor (or a gun) and giving it to them?
Frankie Catoe, concerned great-grandmother: I am 88 and have Crohn’s disease and cervical dystonia. The best relief I have found is from THC and CBD products. They also help me get much-needed sleep. I also know children who suffer from epilepsy and whose seizures are controlled by THC. Religious beliefs should never be used as a tool to harm others, which is what passing this ban would do.
Mark Hager, Houston resident: I use CBD oil and gummies and Delta-8 oil and gummies to help my sleep. I no longer take a regular regimen of ibuprofen or aspirin for daily aches and pains (especially after a gym workout). I understand my dosing; I started small. I don’t have kids around the house, so that’s not a worry.
THC and marijuana need to be regulated as tightly as alcohol. Dan Patrick should move everything under TABC and let them handle any issues. I also don’t have a problem with there being a “significant distance” between these shops and schools or churches.
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James Frank Scheiner, Harris County: THC should be banned for anyone under 21 unless medically necessary. Anyone over 21 should have free access. THC use is a widespread, continuous fact of life. Prohibiting it does more damage than allowing it.
Janet L. Manchee, concerned parent: All THC products should be banned. Our middle and high school students are being sent to alternative schools for their use, and often for bringing these items to school.
Ashley Cardnell, chronically ill Houstonian: THCa being available has changed my life. I have a disability that causes chronic pain and fatigue. These products have helped me be able to ease the pain so I can sleep and be a productive member of society.
D. Brent Wells, older guy who needs his sleep: I will never sleep again without my nightly CBD and CBN tincture. We should regulate THC like alcohol, not deprive enlightened adults.
Michael Matthews, Texan: Hemp, with less than 0.3% THC, is the product that is widely available throughout Texas and the target of Senate Bill 3. By comparison, “non-alcoholic beer” or “near beer” is any brew with less than 0.5% alcohol. So hemp should be classified as “non-marijuana” or “near THC.”
Idette Rodriguez, concerned parent: Yes, Texas should ban all synthetic THC products. This social experiment must stop!
J.R. Wolverton, chronic pain victim: THC should be legal for adults. I've dealt with chronic pain for 30 years, and THC products work better for that low constant pain in your bones without the nasty side effects of large doses of opioids. It helps my appetite, which is suppressed due to all my medications. It also greatly eases the pain in my hands from arthritis.
Let THC users come out of the shadows. We are not criminals for the most part, just ordinary people who are trying to find relief from anxiety and pain.
Hazel Greenberg, Harris County resident. I tried THC-type products for sleep and pain issues, but they didn’t work. I appreciated having access to them, though. And maybe if they had higher concentrations of THC, they would have worked. There’s nothing wrong with safety oversight, of course, but banning it if there are no safety issues is just the state once again interfering in people’s lives.
Roger Lowrance, life-long smoker. A ban wouldn’t affect my life at all. My drive to New Mexico or Missouri every six weeks is just part of my life now, and I sure will be glad when Louisiana adds recreational (probably next year).
Lisa Gray is the op-ed editor and a member of the Houston Chronicle editorial board. Previously, she’s held many of the Chronicle’s most interesting jobs: Senior editor for digital, features enterprise editor, columnist–and, most fun of all, founding editor of Gray Matters.
Email her at lisa.gray@chron.com.
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