Gov. Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick vetoed the state THC ban on June 22 under Senate Bill 3. Now, at the federal level, THC retailers could experience new obstacles with President Donald Trump signing the funding bill to reopen the government, including a measure banning nearly all THC products. 

The new restrictions on hemp products would cap the amount of THC permitted in a product to 0.4 milligrams per package. The majority of THC products would need to be removed from shelves if the ban takes effect next year. 

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell added the THC provision into the spending bill. U.S. representatives, including Dan Crenshaw, Sylvia Garcia and Marc Veasey, opposed the hemp ban amendment. 

There have been studies documenting the benefits that THC and cannabis products have on veterans who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder. Pain from injuries and various mental illnesses can be soothed by THC products as well. Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. sent a letter to Congress on Nov. 13 explaining the importance of THC products as an alternative to prescription drugs. 

“These could offer a real alternative to the heavy prescription drugs so many of our veterans are given for PTSD, anxiety, pain and sleep problems,” VFW stated. “Every day, doctors hand out strong sedatives and psychoactive meds to help veterans cope. They work for some, but too many end up hooked, numb or dealing with brutal side effects.”

U.S. Army veteran and UT San Antonio Mechanical Engineering student Rod Reshel commented on the THC ban being a barrier to accessible pain management for veterans. 

“We have an issue with both pain, both physically, emotionally, stuff like that, as veterans, depending on our situation,” Reshel explained. Thus far, the primary way that’s been treated is with pharmaceuticals. The one issue is that a lot of the medical organizations do not consider the medications contradicting each other, causing negative effects.” 

Reshel reflected on his experience of taking “man-made” drugs, leading to him having unwanted side effects and harmful life alterations. Instead of his doctors suggesting medical marijuana first, they offered him other types of medications. He explained how he felt like a guinea pig while taking so many pharmaceuticals. 

Reshel said medical marijuana worked well for him and helped him stay functional. He thinks the federal ban is not about the health of veterans but about politics.

“The problem is, you can provide all the factual data that shows it and that demonstrates clearly this is exactly what they need. But if a political perspective is not beneficial to them, then it will always be a no,” he noted. 

A Navy veteran and university faculty member who wished to stay anonymous explained her thoughts on the politics surrounding the THC ban. 

“It’s a lot cheaper and a lot easier and more accessible to get. So it’s a lot more accessible, reasonable and safer than a lot of the prescription drugs that the VA is working on,” the Navy veteran said. “For me, it helps with anxiety. It helps manage my PTSD symptoms. The relief is a lot more immediate than some of the anti-anxiety medications and PTSD medications were given.”

She elaborated on the benefits she has experienced from consuming THC and cannabis.

 “It’s better than taking five pills a day than smoking a couple of joints. The relief is immediate, and it really does have a relaxing effect that feels a lot better than some of the worst side effects in prescription medications,” she explained. 

When asked about the possibility of this ban next year and its effect on veterans, she thinks people will continue to use THC products illegally. 

“You’re not going to stop people from using it, whether it’s legal or not. I mean, there are people whose lives have been saved, honestly, from using it,” the Navy veteran indicated.

Once the THC ban was signed into law as part of the government spending bill it has a grace period until it is put into effect. Exactly a year from the date it was signed it will formally take effect with the expected date for the ban being Nov. 13, 2026.