Posted on April 11, 2025 View all news
“This is not a political or partisan issue. This is about saving lives.”
~ Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick
Recently, Aubree Adams and Chandel Strickland stood alongside Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick to address the dangers of hemp-derived THC. Together with leading law enforcement officials from across Texas, they advocated for legislation to ban all THC-containing products
Vape and smoke shops, gas stations, and various retailers are selling hemp-derived THC and its analogues, such as Delta-8-THC, which are synthetically produced from CBD. These products are being marketed as medicine and are being sold to Texas youth, contributing to severe mental and physical health issues and, in some cases, even death.
Here are the highlights from that press conference.
First Speaker: Lt. Governor Dan Patrick
During his remarks, Patrick called THC – marijuana’s main psychoactive compound – a “poison” and mentioned Texas Senate Bill 3, which, if passed into law, would ban nearly all forms of consumable THC.
“This is a poison in our public,” Patrick said. “And we as a Legislature – our No. 1 responsibility is life and death issues.”
He also pointed out how the sale of high-THC products has exploded across the state of Texas virtually overnight.
“Who opens 8,000 locations in less than four years?” Patrick pointed out. “We have to ban THC and shut all of these stores down.”
Speaker #2 Texas Senator Charles Perry
Patrick then introduced Texas Senator Charles Perry, the author of Senate Bill 3.
Senator Perry made a comparison likening the sale of high-potency cannabis products to the recognized hazards of using synthetic marijuana products like K2.
He then reminded the audience that the drug problem is really a human problem by reading the names of several young people and the harm that pot had done to their lives – addiction, psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, among others.
He said he was there for them, calling their ruined lives “unacceptable and unnecessary.”
“Profit over people is never an excuse…the taxes we collect do not cover the behavioral health issues that’s created an addiction,” Perry went on.
“No amount of tax dollars is going to cover the fix…what is the price you put on the loss that these families have suffered and generations to come?”
Speaker #3 Police Chief Steve Dye, Allen
With 35 years of law enforcement experience, Chief Steve Dye spoke with authority on the danger that marijuana poses to the people he has sworn to serve and protect.
“…most people think that if you walk into a store and you’re able to buy something from a retail establishment, it must be legal, and it must be safe. With these THC consumables, neither is true,” Chief Dye said
“…While manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers claim (these products) are therapeutic, we have definitive evidence showing that they know what they’re selling is intoxicating.”
Speaker #4 Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis is recognized as a leader in the fight against the drug threat in Texas. In fact, he was the only prosecutor in the state selected for the National Opioids Task Force. This gives him a uniquely valuable insight into the effect that marijuana has on individuals, families, and society.
“As District Attorney, I don’t just read about the impact of high-potency THC in studies – I see it firsthand. I see it in the courtroom. I see it in hospital records. I see it in shattered lives,” Willis said.
Willis also mentioned that while the current marijuana public health crisis does not make as many headlines as the opioid epidemic, it ruins lives just the same.
“Now this crisis isn’t sudden, but it’s slowly choking the life and vigor out of our young people. It strikes not in an instant, but it tightens day by day, until bright minds break and go dark…until our courtrooms fill with cases of promising futures cut short…until young defendants stand before us unable to tell reality from delusion.”
Willis warned of what would happen if SB 3 does not pass into law.
“…If we wait, then we will be back. Only next time, the cost won’t be measured in percentages and studies. It will be measured in lives – young Texans, their futures dimmed and their potential lost,” he concluded.
Speaker #5 Sheriff Bill Waybourn, Tarrant County
At one point, Sheriff Bill Waybourn was the youngest Police Chief in the State of Texas. Now, after 40 years as a leader in law enforcement, he is the Sheriff for one of the most populous counties in the country.
Like other speakers, Waybourn pointed to the obvious connection between high-THC marijuana and worsened mental health.
“In 2017, when I became Sheriff…in the population of my jail, 25% were having difficulty with mental illness. Well, something drastically has changed…because here in 2025, nearly 70% of the jail population is dealing with mental illness. And I talked to the mental health workers over there and there’s no question that this marijuana is at the tip of the spear causing these issues.”
Speaker #6 Aubree Adams, Citizens for a Safe and Healthy Texas
Subscribers and regular readers of our content are likely aware that Aubree Adams is the Founder and Director of Every Brain Matters, a respected non-profit organization focused on educating the public about the dangers of marijuana. Additionally, she has founded another organization called Citizens for a Safe and Healthy Texas.
Aubree first warned of the dangers of synthetic THC by sharing the tragic stories of young people and their families who suffered because of these products, including her own son. These real-life stories were of delusions, suicide, mental breakdown, and physical illlness and pain.
“The science is clear – THC can cause psychosis and lead to schizophrenia. It can worsen symptoms of PTSD, increase suicide risk, and intensify depression and anxiety,” she said.
Like Senator Perry, Aubree made the point that the supposed economic “benefits” of legal cannabis just are not worth it. The human cost is much too high.
“Any potential jobs or tax benefits from this predatory industry is overshadowed by the damage their products cause.”
Speaker #7 Chandelle Strickland, Mother of a THC Victim
Like Aubree, Mrs. Strickland is a mother who has seen the devastating effects of THC first-hand. She talked of having to pick her son up from a psychiatric ward and of being afraid of her own child. She mentioned the toll the experience has taken on her own mental health and the long road of recovery.
Then Ms. Strickland strongly urged support for SB 3.
“We don’t have time for more regulation because families are at risk. Lives are at risk. We are asking for a total ban on synthetic THC.”
A Not-So Subtle Message
When Lt. Governor Patrick took the podium, he asked the media to share what had been said. Then he spoke directly to businesses selling dangerous THC-laden products, warning them of what is to come.
“It’s just a matter of time that someone is going to bring lawsuits against you on the civil side for their families who have been harmed,” he said.
“We’re going to ban your stores before we leave here…You might want to voluntarily close your doors, because the investigations are going to continue and I’m sure the lawsuits are about to come.”
Asking the Right Question
After the Lt. Governor spoke, he and Senator Perry took questions.
A recurring theme from most of the speakers was how the Big Marijuana industry and the individual retail shops intentionally market and sell to minors…even children.
They do this with bright-colored packaging, deceptive advertising, flavors appealing to children, lax enforcement of rules, and even strategic locations.
In closing, Lt. Governor Patrick turned the tables and presented the assembled media with food for thought, asking, “Our job is protecting… the schoolchildren who are getting this product one way or another. Just ask yourself this question – why are almost all of these THC stores building and opening up around schools?”
“That’s where they believe their market is.”
About Texas Senate Bill 3
“Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible. These stores not only sold to adults, but they targeted Texas children and exposed them to dangerous levels of THC.
~ The Office of Lt. Governor Patrick
Simply put, Senate Bill 3 seeks to tighten regulations involving THC products easily sold in vape shops and convenience stores. Effectively, it would ban the sale of all consumable THC, except for low-dose products allowed for certain medical conditions as permitted under the Compassionate Use Program.
The bill also aims to close loopholes that have allowed bad actor retailers to circumvent existing laws. The ban includes:
- Artificial and synthetic cannabinoids
- Any consumable hemp product that contains or is mixed with alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, kratom, kava, mushrooms, or any of their derivatives.
Notably, the bill also addresses marketing to minors by prohibiting consumable hemp products that are shaped or packaged in any manner that is attractive to children, including human or animal characters, fruit, cartoons, celebrities, symbols, or any such image. Also banned are any imitations of other snacks or food products that are typically marketed to minors.
One Step Closer
Thanks to the powerful words of each speaker at the press conference, Texas State Bill 3 overwhelmingly passed in the State Senate 24-7.
The bill still needs to pass the Texas House before Governor Gregg Abbott can sign it into law, but its author, Senator Perry, is optimistic that the Senate and the House are “philosophically aligned.”
Lt. Governor Patrick has spoken to House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Governor Abbott and has this to say:
“We’re all on the same page. We’re going to protect the people of Texas from THC.”
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick said he will even push for a special session to pass SB 3.
What You Can Do
Texas State Bill 3 is an essential piece of legislation because it shows that states can push back against the profit-over-principle practices deception of the Big Marijuana industry.
If you live in Texas, you can protect your family and your community by reaching out to the members of the State House of Representatives listed here, joining the Citizens for a Safe and Healthy email list, and donating to support their efforts to protect Texas families from the harms of THC.
If you do not live in Texas but want similar legislation enacted in your state, you can find contact information for your elected officials here.
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Every Brain Matters is a trusted educational resource for individuals and families wanting to stay safe from the harms associated with marijuana and the drug crisis.
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Finally, make your voice heard by contacting your local elected officials. Legislators are supposed to pass laws that protect citizens, not hurt them. If you want to help keep your state, city, neighborhood, and family safe, contact your elected officials and tell them that you do not want marijuana in your state. Contact information for local politicians can be found here.
