Goodwin Makes THC Regulation a Top Priority for 2027 as Incoming Ag Chief Calls Hemp a “Saving Grace”

AUSTIN, Texas | November 13, 2026 Two statewide officials who take office in January used their first public remarks this week to put hemp and THC near the top of the 2027 agenda. Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin says she wants THC regulated, not banned, and she has set aside a block of low Senate bill numbers that includes THC regulation. Agriculture Commissioner-elect Clayton Tucker called hemp a possible “saving grace” for dry-land farmers. Neither can pass a hemp bill alone, and nothing in Texas law changes until the 90th Legislature acts.

What Goodwin Said This Week

Goodwin spoke at her first press conference as lieutenant governor-elect on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and in an interview with KSAT-TV the next day. Both times she drew the same line. She told reporters Texas needs regulation around THC and that she is “not interested in a full ban,” the San Antonio Current reported. In the KSAT interview she called product safety her primary concern and said she wants people to be able to buy safe products.

Legalization is a softer commitment. During the campaign she supported recreational legalization, but at the press conference she did not pledge to make it a priority. She told KSAT she is open to it and argued that keeping it illegal pushes people toward the black market, while saying more research and many conversations are needed first. Rep. Joe Moody and Rep. John Bucy III have already filed adult-use bills, covered in our report on the first 2027 filings.

What Reserved Bill Numbers Mean

Goodwin says she will not file bills herself and will prioritize senators’ bills. She has reserved the first 30 bill numbers for them, and KSAT reports the list includes public school support, repealing school vouchers and regulating THC. In the Senate, a low number is the lieutenant governor’s way of signaling what moves first. The 2025 hemp ban that Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed carried the number SB 3, according to our earlier reporting.

A low number is a signal, not a vote count. A senator still has to file the bill, a committee still has to hear it, and Goodwin herself noted that committee chairs decide what comes through their committees. She contrasted that with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, whom she said made most Senate decisions himself. The Republican-majority Senate is also weighing whether to trim some of the lieutenant governor’s powers, a fight we covered in a separate report. Goodwin said she does not expect that to happen and noted some powers are constitutional.

Tucker and the Farm Case for Hemp

Clayton Tucker, a Democrat, won the agriculture commissioner race on Nov. 3 over Republican Nate Sheets, 51.3% to 46.7%, according to the election page on Wikipedia, which showed reporting 96.83% complete when we read it, so the final count could move. He takes office Jan. 1. In an interview with Texas Standard, he called hemp a possible “saving grace” and pointed to how drought-tolerant the crop is. He also floated hemp diesel refineries as a backup to conventional ones and said his main concern is that no corporate monopolies form, Marijuana Moment reported.

The Agriculture Department runs the state’s industrial hemp program for growers. Rules for hemp consumables sold in stores, including age limits, testing and fees, sit with the Department of State Health Services. So the commissioner’s enthusiasm does not by itself change what a shop can sell, and the farm argument is likely to matter most as a talking point when lawmakers weigh a bill.

Republican Voices in the Conversation

Rep. Wes Virdell, a Republican, told KSAT that cannabis is an issue where he and Democrats can align and that he expects bipartisan bills from the House and, he hopes, the Senate. Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, wants voters to decide on legalization through a referendum, which would require the Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot first. Our timeline for Hinojosa’s plan walks through those steps.

The politics shifted fast. Patrick pushed hemp bans repeatedly, Abbott vetoed SB 3, and state agencies then adopted restrictive rules that are now being challenged in court. Goodwin beat Patrick by about 6 percentage points, the San Antonio Current reported. Podcaster Joe Rogan said Texas Republicans probably lost the election because of laws banning THC products, per Marijuana Moment. That is his opinion, not a finding, and our election results report covers what the vote did and did not decide.

What Can Change, and What Cannot

Dates to Watch

• Dec. 11, 2026: the federal hemp definition changes further. The first phase, covering cannabinoids the plant cannot make naturally, took effect this week per Marijuana Moment.
• Jan. 1, 2027: Tucker takes office at the Agriculture Department.
• Jan. 12, 2027: the 90th Legislature convenes.
• Jan. 19, 2027: Goodwin is to be sworn in, per KSAT.
• March 12, 2027: the bill filing deadline, as we reported in our layer-by-layer map.

What It Means for Shops and Shoppers

Nothing changes on store shelves because of this week’s statements. Hemp businesses still operate under the state health agency’s rules and the July 31 delta-8 schedule, and the federal change adds a new layer on Dec. 11. Advocates have the most room to act now, while bills are still being drafted. Our guide to staying involved and the action center show how to find and write your lawmakers, and the legalization path explainer maps the steps beyond hemp.