Still, the world does go \u2019round, and maybe we are living in the future<\/a> after all, because in spite of ourselves<\/a> and against all odds, Texas pot smokers are living in a peculiar legal bubble where a wide variety of high-quality cannabis products are legally available in local stores, and they don\u2019t even cost very much. Indeed, we don\u2019t know how lucky we are.\u00a0<\/p>\n But if we\u2019re up one day, the next we could be down. Things could be worse.<\/a> We still have a Lieutenant Governor dead set on strict prohibition, public opinion be damned. And despite a whole industry having grown up organically \u2013 growers, producers, distributors, and retail businesses \u2013 with no apparent negative effects, producing taxes that were otherwise going to Colorado or New Mexico, we are at the whim of a GOP political machine that seems willing to sacrifice all manner of things (as well as its principles) in order to notch wins against its perceived enemies.<\/p>\n On Sept. 10, Gov. Greg Abbott issued his Executive Order GA-56, banning any sales of THC products to minors, with strict ID checks, putting more product categories under scrutiny, explicitly including THC-A, and tasking the Dept. of State Health Services and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission with developing rules for labeling, potency limits, and other issues.<\/p>\n On Oct. 1, the order went into effect.<\/p>\n And on Oct. 7, Abbott directed the DPS to \u201cincrease surveillance and enforcement of any vape and smoke shop violating Texas law.\u201d DPS \u201cwill conduct targeted operations to identify vape and smoke shops of concern, then \u2026 conduct undercover operations to identify unlawful activity, [and] testing on any seized products from these investigations.\u201d In the end, they\u2019ll \u201cbring charges against employees and shop ownership in violation of Texas law, [and] leverage all federal and local law enforcement partnerships to further these investigations.\u201d Sounds scary.<\/p>\n But the thing is, Austin is blessed at the moment with a very healthy and professional batch of cannabis vendors, selling a variety of products \u2013 many of them locally made, pretty much all of them coming from reputable producers, and all of them legal under current regulations. And in my experience, they\u2019ve been scrupulous about checking IDs and observing the other niceties of being in the cannabusiness. (In one hilarious incident during the recent legislative session, Lt. Gov. Patrick tried to run a sting operation<\/a> on a Happy Cactus store here in Austin, only to be carded and lectured on potency limits.)<\/p>\n So, while I conduct this sort of research on a regular basis, this week I went out with a purpose, visiting three of my favorite local cannabusinesses, and found that \u2013 I can\u2019t complain, because actually, everything is just about the same. Shops seem to be humming along, with no effects from the new regs, and an air of optimism for the future after having survived the Lege session. (I won\u2019t mention any stores by name, because there are dozens of reputable shops around town; if you don\u2019t have a favorite, Kevin has written about several in this column<\/a>, or check the Chronicle\u2019s Cannabusiness Guide<\/a>.) The only notable change is that vapes are gone, so boo to that (but oddly, they\u2019ll soon be available for medical patients<\/a>, so yay for that). And if some of the less scrupulous sellers around town have to pull their questionable wares off the market, all the better. And all of that is a good thing \u2026 for now.<\/p>\n With Abbott\u2019s orders expiring in 180 days, the TABC and DSHS have until the end of March to come up with the new rules, regulations, enforcement, and taxing mechanisms for the next phase of the Texas pot prohibition, but there\u2019s every reason to believe that those agencies recognize the economic value of quietly acknowledging something that\u2019s been obvious since well before 54 years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile<\/p>\n It don\u2019t cost very much, but it lasts a long while<\/p>\n Won\u2019t you please tell the man, I didn\u2019t kill anyone<\/p>\n No, I\u2019m just tryin\u2019 to have me some fun<\/p>\n \u2013 \u201cIllegal Smile,\u201d<\/a> John Prine (1971)<\/p>\n![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1760658677_810_hqdefault.jpg\")
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