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Texas has found a way to prohibit minors from legally buying alcohol and cigarettes without banning the products entirely.
That's why I asked Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday at a press conference if there is a way he could better protect children from the dangers he says THC products pose without prohibiting every grown adult in Texas from having access to the products — as he has been pushing all session.
"What are you, crazy?" Patrick responded before the question had even fully escaped my lips.
Patrick said while it is true he has been focused on protecting kids from the proliferation of the products, he's also dead set against adults buying them.
"We don't want anybody buying anything off the shelf that could kill them or ruin their mental state for the rest of their lives," Patrick said while holding a bag of THC-infused cereal bites.
Many in the THC industry would obviously dispute his characterization of the dangers the products pose. Still, Patrick continued on and pointed his finger at me and blasted me for even asking the question.
"That's the kind of talk, the reason why we're here: the media that would say something as stupid as that," Patrick said.
Check out his full response on social media here.
Patrick's emotional response comes at a time when even some conservatives, who have historically supported him, are blasting him on social media for trying to shut down a THC industry. Those businesses have exploded over the last few years, since the Legislature inadvertently legalized hemp-derived forms of the compound. Texas now has more than 8,500 retailers selling THC products, many of which can produce the high traditionally associated with marijuana, which is banned in the state except for certain medical uses.
The proposed ban on hemp-derived THC has already passed the Legislature and is now in the hands of Gov. Greg Abbott to decide if the bill will become law.
Read much more about where the THC debate stands and what Abbott might do here in the latest story from reporters Benjamin Wermund and Isaac Yu.
 | Jeremy Wallace, Texas politics reporter |
Who's Up, Who's Down
A daily stock market-style report on key players in Texas politics.
Up: Houston Drivers.
The head of the Houston Police Department has formally rescinded a policy requiring officers to make at least one traffic stop per day, just before a City Council vote that could outlaw such quotas. In a memo to Mayor John Whitmire's office, Police Chief Noe Diaz said the directive no longer aligns with best practices for patrol work.
Down: Greg Abbott.
Once again, his push for bail reform in Texas is on the ropes. House Democrats on Tuesday blocked a last-minute push by Republicans to automatically deny bail to people accused of repeatedly committing violent crimes, striking a blow to one of Gov. Greg Abbott's signature issues. The proposed amendment to the state Constitution would have denied pretrial release to those accused of nine violent crimes, including murder, aggravated assault and trafficking, if they had previously been convicted of those crimes.
What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.
What else is going on in Texas
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Pick of the day
Photo by: Associated Press
SpaceX launched its ninth Starship flight test on Tuesday evening, successfully completing milestones such as flying a previously flown booster but falling short of the test's full goals. "Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over last flight!" SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who lives in Texas, said on X.
What else I'm reading
During an interview with the Washington Post on Tuesday, Elon Musk said that slashing the size of the federal government proved far tougher than he expected and lamented the intense criticism leveled at the U.S. DOGE Service, which he has led. He said reactions to DOGE cuts had been severe. "DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything," he said.
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