Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick led a campaign against THC products in recent years, and state officials later banned several hemp-derived cannabis products, including smokable vapes and joints. Patrick said at a news conference last year that he would not legalize marijuana in Texas, and that voters could remove him from office over it.
Austin state Rep. Vikki Goodwin unseated Patrick on Election Day. Her campaign focused on his incumbency and his push to ban hemp-derived THC products. She also proposed using sales tax revenue to pay for health insurance programs for low-income Texans.
Shayda Torabi, co-founder of RESTART CBD in Austin, said Goodwin's position helps the industry but is not an immediate fix. She said smokable products have moved back and forth through agency rules and court orders, and that businesses and customers cannot plan around that. Lukas Gilkey, chief executive of hemp product maker Hometown Hero, called the election a major moment in politics.