Senator Nathan Johnson Files Comprehensive Set of Cannabis Legislation During Special Session

News Release Contact: Brenda Allen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Brenda.Allen@senate.texas.gov
July 30, 2025 972-701-0349
SENATOR NATHAN JOHNSON FILES COMPREHENSIVE SET OF
CANNABIS LEGISLATION DURING SPECIAL SESSION
AUSTIN, TX — Senator Nathan Johnson filed two bills in the special session that together present a
comprehensive cannabis reform package, designed to create a regulatory framework for the safe and
responsible manufacture, marketing, sale and consumption of naturally-derived THC products in
Texas.
Present Texas THC laws are inconsistent and inadequate to the task of protecting kids and the general
public. For hemp-derived THC products, our laws provide no uniform testing, labeling, or age
restrictions. The result is an industry that markets to minors, delivers products of dangerous and
uncertain potency, and operates largely beyond the reach of the law. At the same time, low-level
adult use of the same THC molecule is illegal when consumed as marijuana. Marijuana possession still
accounts for over 30% of drug-related arrests, diverts law enforcement resources away from violent
crime, damages families and communities, and imposes tremendous unnecessary costs on taxpayers.
The package includes two bills:
SB 53 — Hemp-Derived THC Regulation: Creates enforceable safety standards for hemp-derived
products, including manufacturing, testing, licensing, packaging, and marketing requirements.
SB 54 — Decriminalizing Adult-Use Cannabis: Decriminalizes personal marijuana use in small
amounts and reallocates law enforcement resources to serious public safety threats.
Key reforms include:
• Licensing and permit structures for growers, manufacturers, retailers, and distributors
• Minimum age of 21 for THC product purchases
• Low threshold THC content for consumable products – capped at 5mg per serving
• Mandatory product testing, clear labeling, and child-safe packaging
• Legal possession of personal use quantities of marijuana or hemp flower, and limited home
cultivation
• Expunction process for low-level cannabis offenses
• Tax revenue directed to support public health and law enforcement
• Legislative intent for next steps: creation of a centralized commission to oversee hemp and
cannabis policy.
“In the regular session Senators were presented with the option of a ban or nothing. Doing nothing

was not an option then, and is not an option now. But a total THC ban is neither enforceable nor
desirable nor respectful of adult consumers. These bills present legislators with a safer option,
featuring greater enforceability, respect for individual choice, better use of taxpayer dollars, criminal
justice, and increased support for medical THC by promoting TCUP. These reforms offer clarity and
consistency in the law, replacing an opaque, fragmented system with a regulatory framework that
enables businesses and consumers to have confidence in a market that operates legally, safely, and
responsibly,” said Senator Johnson.
About Senator Nathan Johnson: Senator Nathan Johnson was re-elected in 2024 to serve a third term
in the Texas Senate. He serves on the Senate committees of Business and Commerce, Jurisprudence
(Vice-Chair), Economic Development, Transportation, and Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs.