UPDATE: Abbott Bans Minors From Buying THC Products

UPDATE, 9/10/2025, 11:34 a.m.: On Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order designed to provide some form of regulation to the state’s THC industry after a second special legislative session failed to yield an outright ban as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had long lobbied for. Most prominent among the executive order’s bullet points is that minors will be officially banned from purchasing THC products. Reports on Tuesday indicated Abbott might set the legal age limit to buy THC products at 21.

“Texas will not wait when it comes to protecting children and families,” Abbott said in a Wednesday press release. “While these products would still benefit from the kind of comprehensive regulation set by the Texas Legislature for substances like alcohol and tobacco, my executive order makes sure that kids are kept safe and parents have peace of mind now, and that consumers know the products they purchase are tested and labeled responsibly.”

Original article from Sept. 19 below:

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to issue an executive order that outlines new parameters for THC regulations soon, the Texas Tribune reports.

Among the most significant changes is a new requirement that anyone purchasing a THC product be 21 years of age or older. While many retailers across the state have instituted their own age requirements for purchases, Texas does not currently have a legal age for purchasing THC products such as Delta-8 and Delta-9.

According to sources close to the governor’s office, other expected changes to the THC industry will include mandated ID checking for sales, distance requirements between shops and schools, stricter labeling requirements, testing products for THC content and stiffer fees for businesses. The proposals have not been finalized yet and could change, the sources said.

The approach is similar to how Texas regulates alcohol sales, an idea Abbott proposed in June after vetoing an all-out ban on the products.

“Legislators could consider a structure similar to the way alcohol is regulated, with strict enforcement by an agency like the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission,” Abbott said.

The anticipated executive order comes after a legislative session and two special sessions where Abbott’s No. 2, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, vowed to wipe THC products off the shelves completely. Patrick told reporters that there had never been an issue at the state capitol more important to him than a THC ban, but at the end of the second special session last week, he admitted that the State Senate and Abbott were at an impasse on how to move forward with the ban.

Legislators did succeed in passing a law that went into effect Sept. 1, which bans the manufacturing, selling and advertising of disposable vape pens and e-cigarettes, including those that contain nicotine or legal amounts of THC.