4 June 26 - July 2, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Running Start Allen police, DEA conduct more THC raids in North Texas. BY ALYSSA FIELDS G ov. Greg Abbott vetoed a sweeping THC ban (see story below) that would have re- quired all manufacturers and retailers of consumable, hemp-derived THC products to remove the items from their shelves, but the action in Austin hasn’t slowed Allen police Chief Steve Dye. His department continues to conduct raids to seize illegally potent prod- ucts, anything higher than the 0.3% concen- tration limit on THC. The chief led his department, in conjunc- tion with the Drug Enforcement Adminis- tration (DEA), in executing search warrants for three wholesale smoke shop warehouses last week. They seized an estimated 75,000 pounds of THC products and $7 million worth of cash and assets, according to CBS News. “These search warrants were the result of several months of investigation, during which undercover officers, on multiple oc- casions, purchased illegal THC products di- rectly from the warehouses,” Allen police said to CBS News, which filmed parts of the raid in collaboration with the department. “These purchases provided critical evidence supporting today’s enforcement actions.” The three wholesalers’ owners, Mon- ster Smoke Warehouse, Frontline Whole- sale and Cannify Distribution, were also served search warrants at their residential properties across North Texas. According to Monster Smoke Warehouse’s attorney, David Sergi, no arrests have been made as of June 18. Sergi represents several smoke shops and wholesalers across Texas that have been subject to police raids. The attorney has on- going lawsuits against Dye, the DEA and the Allen Police Department, with more on the way. Other attorneys representing smoke shops raided by the department have filed similar suits, and smoke shops across the state have procured legal counsel in prepa- ration for litigation against the state if the proposed THC ban goes into effect in an up- coming special session of the Legislature Abbott called following his veto. “We’ve already sued Chief Dye,” Sergu said. “We’ll be amending that lawsuit to hold him to account for what he has now done and to hold Allen, as well as the other enti- ties, to [accountable for] essentially trying to run the business out even before September.” It’s Not The First Time The recent raids, assisted by the DEA, are part of a large-scale initiative spearheaded by Dye, who has described hemp products as a “plague.” Just seven months after being sworn in as chief, he led his team in raiding nine smoke shops in August 2024. The chief traveled to Austin several times during the 89th legislative session to campaign for Senate Bill 3, the THC ban measure. “Labels on many products do not reflect the actual level of THC inside the packag- ing, which is leading to accidental intoxica- tions, overdoses and increased addiction for these psychoactive products, particularly to our youth,” Dye said to the Senate before the bill passed. In one of his testimonies at the Capitol, the chief was caught exaggerating the sever- ity of THC intoxication in his jurisdiction, claiming illegally potent products had re- sulted in two deaths. A local sleuth re- quested the death records Dye had referenced and found that both individuals had died from opiate overdoses. The false allegations of fatal effects have been echoed by the Senate leader, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who matches Dye’s fervency in ridding the state of THC products and pas- sionately pursued the ban’s passage the en- tirety of the session. “[They] found a loophole to make syn- thetic cannabis, which is more powerful and more potent than anything we’ve ever seen before,” Patrick said in Lubbock while on his post-session 12-city tour. “It’s killing and threatening to kill, damaging young people and young adults who go to these vape shops and smoke shops all around the state.” Sergi and countless hemp-industry stakeholders claim that eradicating the hemp industry as a whole is overly reaction- ary when countless Texans safely distribute and consume the products. “It’s unfortunate that a very small group of law enforcement and a very small group of politicians are pushing this when it’s re- ally the will of the people that these prod- ucts be legal,” Sergi said. What’s Next? Products with equal to or less than 0.3% THC concentration have been legal in Texas since 2019. In just six years, the in- toxicating hemp industry has exploded, with 8,500 licensed retailers and $8 billion in total revenue. ▼ CANNABIS THC SHOPS DODGE A BULLET FOR NOW ABBOTT VETOES THC BAN, CALLS FOR SPECIAL SESSION AND REGULATION. BY ALYSSA FIELDS I n the final hours, after weeks of silence, Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the highly con- troversial Senate Bill 3, which would ban all consumable THC products. The gover- nor called a special legislative session, be- ginning July 21, asking lawmakers to regulate products instead of a blanket ban. “Senate Bill 3 is well-intentioned. But it would never go into effect because of valid constitutional challenges,” the governor wrote in his veto. “Litigation challenging the bill has already been filed, and the legal de- fects in the bill are undeniable. If I were to allow Senate Bill 3 to become law, its en- forcement would be enjoined for years, leav- ing existing abuses unaddressed. Texas cannot afford to wait.” Senate Bill 3, whose passage was a top priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would have banned all consumable THC, includ- ing delta-8 and delta-9. A last-minute amendment to make exceptions for THC- infused beverages delayed the House vote, but it failed to pass, and Patrick’s preferred blanket version of the bill was sent to Ab- bott’s desk. The Legislature can override Abbott’s veto, but two-thirds of each chamber would have to pass the bill again in a supermajority vote. Patrick, who has poured all his efforts into passing SB 3, expressed disappointment in the veto. “Throughout the legislative session, [Abbott] remained totally silent on Senate Bill 3, the bill that would have banned dangerous THC products in Texas,” Pat- rick’s office wrote on social media. “His late-night veto, on an issue supported by 105 of 108 Republicans in the Legislature, strongly backed by law enforcement, many in the medical and education com- munities, and the families who have seen their loved ones’ lives destroyed by these very dangerous drugs, leaves them feeling abandoned. I feel especially bad for those who testified and poured their hearts out on their tragic losses.” Veterans and the disabled community, dependent on THC products for pain man- agement, were some of the more outspoken opponents of the bill. On their behalf, Abbott has challenged lawmakers to reform the hemp industry. “Texas must enact a regulatory frame- work that protects public safety, aligns with federal law, has a fully funded enforcement structure and can take effect without delay,” Abbott said. Hemp-derived THC products were first legalized in 2019 and quickly ballooned to a multibillion-dollar industry, with 8,500 li- censed retailers and 50,000 employees. If passed in its all-encompassing format, SB 3 would force thousands of businesses to shutter. The veto comes with a large sigh of relief from hemp industry stakeholders. “It’s surreal,” said Hayden Meek, owner of Delta-9 Denton. Without the veto, Meek would have had until Sept. 1 to significantly restructure his business model or close the shop. “In a battle that felt like we were get- ting kicked in the teeth every step of the way, it’s absolutely wild to be in a position of suc- cess for once. It’s been hard to come up with the right words to describe it.” All along, advocates for hemp have agreed with introducing new regulations on hemp products, but felt a ban was extreme and placed the heaviest impact on law-abid- ing citizens. “With the right framework — focused on age limits, labeling, potency caps and en- forcement — Texas can protect consumers without sacrificing liberty or economic op- portunity,” said Heather Fazio, director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center. “Abbott’s decision is a powerful stand against fear- driven policymaking and a signal that Texas will not be dragged backward. Instead, the state can lead with smart, fair and forward- looking cannabis policy.” ▼ EDUCATION ADDING UP HERE’S HOW DALLAS ISD TEACHER PAY HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. BY ALYSSA FIELDS T exas’ public education system fund- ing was under the microscope this legislative session. Ahead of the start of the session, the Dal- las Independent School District named in- creased funding for teacher | UNFAIR PARK | As the Texas Legislature prepares for a special session in July to regulate THC, the Allen Police Department has executed more hemp-related raids. Adobe Stock >> p6
