Texas Bans Delta-8, Expands Medical Marijuana Access in 2025

Texas Tightens THC Laws While Expanding Medical Marijuana

In a landmark legislative session, Texas lawmakers passed a combination of drug policy reforms aimed at restricting recreational THC while boosting access to medical cannabis. The centerpiece of the effort, Senate Bill 3, bans consumable hemp products containing synthetic cannabinoids like Delta-8, citing public health risks and increased youth use.

At the same time, lawmakers approved House Bill 46, which expands the state’s limited medical marijuana program. The bill authorizes new delivery methods, including inhalers and vapes, and adds conditions such as chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, traumatic brain injuries, and terminal illnesses to the list of qualifying diagnoses. The number of licensed dispensaries will increase from three to twelve.

Medical Cannabis Distribution Still Faces Infrastructure Challenges

Texas’s strict cannabis regulations currently require medical marijuana operations—growing, testing, processing, and dispensing—to be housed under one roof. Dispensaries are also restricted from storing inventory offsite. HB 46 loosens these rules, potentially allowing broader geographic access and reducing operational burdens for providers.

The Texas Department of Public Safety will select three dispensary applicants from an existing 2015 applicant pool. The expansion is set to begin in September if signed by Governor Greg Abbott.

Psychedelics Research Gets Green Light

Quietly tucked into this year’s legislative package is Senate Bill 2308, a groundbreaking measure allocating $50 million for research into the psychedelic compound ibogaine. Derived from a West African shrub, ibogaine is being investigated for its ability to treat addiction, PTSD, and brain injuries.

The bill will create a state-run consortium of researchers, universities, and drug developers aimed at pursuing FDA approval for treatment applications. Texas would retain a financial stake in any future revenue tied to state-developed formulations.

Fentanyl Crisis Still Unaddressed

Despite the escalating opioid crisis in Texas, multiple efforts to legalize fentanyl test strips and expand overdose response strategies failed in the Senate. House Bill 1644, which passed the House unanimously, never received a committee hearing.

Similarly, Senate Bill 1732, which would have allowed nurses and physician assistants to prescribe treatments like buprenorphine or methadone, did not advance. Critics of these bills argue they enable drug use, while harm-reduction advocates say they save lives.

One smaller measure, House Bill 4783, requires the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to compile a biennial report on the availability and needs of opioid reversal drugs such as Narcan across the state.

Industry and Community Reactions

The ban on Delta-8 products is projected to devastate Texas’s $8 billion hemp industry, which employs more than 50,000 workers. Advocates say the ban will eliminate access to affordable THC alternatives for aging patients and veterans. The Texas Hemp Business Council recently delivered 5,000 letters and a petition with over 120,000 signatures to Gov. Abbott urging a veto. The governor has until June 22 to act.

Supporters of the legislation—including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick—say it will protect youth from unregulated substances and refocus cannabis policy on medically appropriate uses.

Whether Texas’s new direction on drug policy sets a model for other conservative states remains to be seen—but the Lone Star State now finds itself on the front line of multiple cannabis and psychedelics debates.

This article was adapted from The Texas Tribune.