Tyler smoke shop urges Abbott to veto THC ban bill

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, the ban on THC in Texas has local businesses and East Texans concerned.

Senate Bill 3 will ban all THC products and now waits for Abbott’s signature. Co-owner of Dragon’s Breath in North Tyler said a full THC ban will do more harm than good.

When the House and Senate passed the bill, co-owner, Lauren Gilmore made all THC products 25 percent off and she believes SB-3 becoming law would be harmful to Texans.

“Honestly, just putting people’s lives at risk and making ordinarily law-abiding citizens into criminals,” Dragon’s Breath co-owner, Lauren Gilmore said.

The bill was spearheaded by Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick. AG Commissioner, Sid Miller, has supported the bill and said taking away THC will protect kids.

“You have seventh graders to walk in a convenience store buy a bag of gummies. You know Delta-9 gummies which is full strength marijuana and take those back to junior high and pass them around. That wasn’t illegal. We never intended for that to happen,” AG Commissioner Sid Miller said. “The GOP is split on it. There’s a lot of them would like to keep it the status as is, or at least legalize some form of legal use of THC outside of medicinal use. There’s a portion of the Republican Party that is dead set against it. He’s kind of between a rock and a hard place.”

“I think people should be able to be trusted with what they’re putting into their body. It’s all up to them. It should not be up to the government. This should not be a nanny state,” Gilmore said.

Dragon’s Breath strictly follows the 21 or older law when selling in Gilmore’s store.

THC sales is 30% of their business at Dragon’s Breath. Nearly 6000 shops around the state will be affected by the bill.

“It’s unfortunate that they’re going to be affected negatively economically, but that was a risk they took and they knew that going in doesn’t make it any better,” Miller said.

If SB-3 becomes law, Gilmore is worried for the wellbeing of her customers.

“Some people are using it, you know, just for aches and pains from joint muscles, arthritis, lots of anxiety and depression,” Gilmore said.

She believes people will find cannabis on the streets and their lives may be in danger.

“I had a friend who actually OD’d from laced fentanyl cannabis on the streets, which is to me is way more dangerous getting it on the street than inside a shop where all of these products have been tested by a lab,” Gilmore said.

Dragon’s Breath will remain open and Gilmore will try to keep all of her staff.

If signed by Abbott, the law will take effect in September and stores in Texas will have until January to be in full compliance with the law.