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US: Could marijuana finally become legal in Texas? Election changes the outlook Eleanor Dearman Fort Worth Star-Telegram Wednesday 04 Nov 2026 The victories are “huge” in a state where THC access has been a political flashpoint. “All of these candidates are very big supporters of sensible policy, and I’m really excited to see what comes this session,“ said Todd, the director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center. Texas has limited access to medical marijuana that’s been incrementally expanded over the past several legislative sessions. When lawmakers met in 2025, they approved allowing more dispensing organizations and added more qualifying conditions for the program, including chronic pain. Recreational marijuana remains illegal in Texas, but certain hemp-based THC products can be purchased that produce a high. Banning THC products was a priority for Patrick in 2025, but Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a bill that passed through the Texas Legislature. Instead, the governor directed state agencies in an executive order to regulate the industry. Between state rules and court orders, Texas has seen various iterations of what products can be sold and possessed. The latest is that many THC products are illegal, but products with up to 0.3% naturally occurring delta-9 THC by dry weight are still permitted. “I do think we’re going to see a rollback of some of the new rules on the hemp industry,” Todd said, pointing to Goodwin’s platform that addressed hemp law reforms. She added, “I feel really positive that we can get some of those rules changed back or repealed, and have our robust hemp program back in operation in the state of Texas.” It isn’t yet clear how exactly the policies will change or what mechanisms will be put in place to change them, she said. Candidates’ plans for marijuana, THC Goodwin, who will serve as president of the Texas Senate, supports legalizing and regulating marijuana and THC products, according to her Star-Telegram candidate questionnaire. “Adults are already using them, and banning them will not change that,” she said. “It will only push the market underground, where products are less safe and there is no accountability.” She also supports “age limits, testing, clear labels, child-resistant packaging, reasonable limits on serving size, and licensing for businesses that make or sell THC products” and giving doctors more authority when prescribing medical marijuana. “No one should be sitting in jail for possessing marijuana,” Goodwin said. “Texas should end jail sentences for simple possession and create a statewide process to seal or expunge eligible cannabis records.” Hinojosa wants to reverse “Abbott’s directive making it a felony to possess THC products derived from hemp,” according to her Star-Telegram candidate questionnaire. “I will sign any bill that comes to my desk sending marijuana and THC to the voters,” she said, adding later in her response: “If the voters approve, we should pass common-sense limits and tax sales to help reduce the property tax burden Texas families are carrying.” Cabrera, the chief strategy officer at the cannabis business Hometown Hero and former president of the Texas Hemp Business Council, said her advocacy plan is in a much different position Wednesday than it was before the midterm election. “Prior to yesterday, when I considered our strategy and our options for 2027, it was really from the defensive position, meaning knowing that we were going to have to fight Dan Patrick all over again,” she said. “This morning it’s a different landscape. We have the opportunity to do something meaningful and potentially reverse some of the harm brought about by last year’s session.” There’s still a lot to unpack politically. “We can’t know exactly yet what dynamic we’re looking at because all of the pieces haven’t shaken out yet,” Cabrera said. Could recreational marijuana be coming to Texas? When lawmakers meet next year, the Texas Cannabis Policy Center is focused on reducing the penalty for possessing marijuana. “I believe we have a clear path now to end cannabis prohibition entirely in Texas — but these two things are tied together,” Todd said in a text message. “We must remove the harsh possession penalties alongside new regulations for adults 21+ to safely and legally access THC.” Asked about the chances of legalizing recreational marijuana in Texas, Todd explained that “the prospect of comprehensive law reform around our cannabis laws is very likely” but said lawmakers have a lot of work to do when they meet in January. “I think we have a very huge opportunity here in Texas to really change our laws,” she said. “I do believe there’s an opportunity to get adult use passed. Now, how that comes about and if that’s in this incoming session remains to be seen.” Cabrera expects to see more marijuana decriminalization based on the new makeup of the legislature. She would oppose legalizing recreational marijuana if it came with limited licenses and forced the state’s hemp businesses to shutter. The next legislative session begins Jan. 12 and runs through May 31. Pieces of Texas’ medical marijuana expansion from 2025 are still being implemented, said Nico Richardson, the CEO of Texas Original, one of Texas’ licensed medical marijuana dispensing businesses. Expansions of the medical program have passed with bipartisan support in the past, including last year’s legislation, he said, when asked about the election’s impact on marijuana policy. “We feel very good that looking forward we should continue to be able to generate support for this program,” Richardson said. The election results don’t dramatically change the business’ policy requests and strategies in the coming legislative session, he said. “There are some things, I think, that can be tweaked around the edges to make the program more accessible and a little less cumbersome for patients, but they wouldn’t be dramatic changes compared to what we already have,” Richardson said. Richardson said Texas Original is focused on medical marijuana use not recreational. “It’s not something we advocate for, and yet at the same time, whether we’re talking about medical cannabis, recreational cannabis, intoxicating hemp – if that’s a direction the state wants to go in, we have to have a very descriptive law that is passed and regulations that work in line with that law,” he said. Richardson notes that the federal landscape is also a factor as a federal ban on most hemp-based THC products looms. “It’s unclear what happens there, but what is clear is whatever happens there at the federal level — unless they pass a separate law here in Texas that is directly in competition with federal law, which I don’t think will happen — that will flow through Texas regulation here and Texas law,” he said. At the national level, NORML, a marijuana law reform group, was celebrating Congressional wins that the organization said could help move federal marijuana legislation. “Some two thirds of Americans support ending marijuana prohibition, and policies that punish responsible consumers and patients are increasingly out of step with voters across the political spectrum,” the group’s Political Director Morgan Fox said in a Wednesday news release. “Unfortunately, Republican leadership chose to ignore public sentiment and let popular cannabis policy legislation languish this session. Hopefully Democrats will not make the same mistake, and will provide the necessary leadership and bipartisanship to pass substantive, sensible reforms in the 120th Congress.” https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/election/article317930890.html
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