Colton Luther, a farmer at Geremy Greens, a hemp farm near Austin, has recently found himself in an unusual position: engaging in political activism.
After becoming aware of Senate Bill 3, which seeks to ban consumable THC products such as vapes and gummies, Luther felt compelled to voice his concerns, fearing the bill’s implications for the hemp farming industry.
“This is bad policy,” Luther stated. “This is policy that takes away an entire industry. It takes away jobs, it takes away money. There is going to be a ton of devastation from this bill.”
Luther is one of roughly 120,000 individuals who have written letters and signed petitions delivered to Governor Greg Abbott, urging him to veto SB 3. The letters come from a range of stakeholders, including farmers, small business owners, and veterans who collectively emphasize the need for regulated THC products instead of an outright ban.
As the uncertainty surrounding the bill lingers, Luther explained that many Texas farmers are losing money each day the legislation remains unresolved.
“Farmers out there are uncertain now of the next season,” he continued. “We have [some groves] that are actually on pause at the moment, losing money day by day, waiting to make sure what they grow, what they process, the transactions that they do, do not land them a felony.”
While lawmakers claim that only consumable hemp products containing THC could be affected by the bill, Luther argues that these products comprise a significant portion of farmers’ business.
“If you take away the market that creates the demand that the farmers are upholding … what business do we have left?” he questioned.
His comments reflect the growing concern among farmers contemplating relocating their operations to states where marijuana is legal or decriminalized.
“We love Texas. We love helping Texans. That’s our biggest passion,” Luther asserted. “That’s why we’re still here, why we go through these uncomfortable press conferences … we really do care about our neighbors.”
Veterans are equally alarmed by the proposed ban. U.S. Army Veteran Dave Walden wrote a letter to Governor Abbott, stressing the impact of the THC ban on veterans’ access to affordable relief options.
“A veteran that lives off disability and makes a couple grand a month and that’s all the income they have, how can they afford it?” Walden asked, referencing the significantly higher costs associated with THC products available only through the Texas Compassionate Use Program.
Mitch Fuller, chair of the national and state legislative committee for Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars, also expressed concerns in a letter to Abbott.
“[It’s] an important alternative modality to the opioids and antidepressants that the VA has been negligent in shoving down our throats for the last 25 years,” he argued, warning that restricting THC products could lead to tragic consequences for veterans seeking relief.
“Please don’t take something away from us that works,” he implored during a press conference.
Senate Bill 3 has been championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who advocates that the bill aims to protect young people from addiction. Supporters of the legislation like Patrick have raised alarms about THC products being accessible to children, given their packaging that resembles candy.
Aubree Adams, director of Citizens for a Safe and Healthy Texas, has shared her own struggles with addiction, noting how her son became dependent on marijuana and experienced cannabis-induced psychosis.
“It’s a predatory, addiction-for-profit industry that wants to profit off the destruction of our families while they’re laughing all the way to the bank,” Adams claimed, criticizing the industry for downplaying the potential harms of THC.
Governor Abbott faces a deadline until June 22 to decide on the legislation. As the date approaches, he has yet to clarify whether he will veto the bill.
Should he choose not to intervene or endorse it, SB 3 will become law on September 1, sealing the fate of many Texas farmers and veterans dependent on THC products.
image source from：https://www.kut.org/politics/2025-06-03/austin-tx-thc-ban-law-greg-abbott-farmers-veterans
