WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) – Governor Greg Abbott vetoed a bill that aimed to make THC across the state of Texas illegal just minutes before the veto deadline.

Texas Cannabis Co. shared that they are relieved they get to keep the business running for the community.

Last month the owners of the shop shared their concerns of having to close the shop if Senate Bill 3 passed.

Throughout the discussion of the issues with SB 3, Governor Abbott remained quiet, hearing from both sides of the aisle. However, he ultimately decided he believed that keeping THC legal in Texas would be in the best interest of business owners, customers and the Texas economy.

“I mean, obviously, he had 100,000 petitions around his desk that also kind of weighed on him. So, for me, he actually heard us and he actually listened, and actually did something for Texas,” Texas Cannabis Co. Co-owner David Sanchez said.

In May, hemp shops across Texas braced for potential closure as they were prepared for Governor Greg Abbott to sign SB 3, a bill aimed at making THC hemp products illegal. But Sunday, that bill was vetoed.

“This is what the people want, and it’s helping. It’s not so much for recreational, it’s a lot of medical use,” Texas Cannabis Co. Co-owner Jay Haygood said.

In a statement following the veto, Abbott argued SB3 would not have survived “valid constitutional challenges putting federal and state on a collision course.”

“So, for me, that was always like a question in my mind, like how is that possible, and with Governor Abbott having a law background, it just makes sense that’s what he did,” Sanchez said.

“We like being from here and helping the people, so many not to have to shut down and go somewhere. Figure out going back to a regular job feels good. We get to live to see another day,” Haygood said.

Before the veto, Texas Cannabis Co. had plans to sell products until shelves became bare. Now, they can stock shelves with a variety of goods to pique customer interest.

“We’ll put things on sale, add more stuff, inventory. Get people replenished because we had to put stuff on hold because we didn’t know where we were going to have to go,” Haygood said.

The hemp industry in Texas employs more than 50,000 people and generates $7 billion a year.

“California, Florida, Oregon, some of the main people who distributed to us, they called, they were ready. It had an impact on everyone in Texas. But worldwide that this was going to affect and having job loss and create a lot of havoc for a lot of people,” Haygood said.

Although Abbott vetoed the bill, he also called for regulation on hemp, which is set to be a topic of discussion in a special legislative session that opens on July 21.

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