The Great Texas Hemp Massacre: How Senate Bill 3 Is About to Destroy a $5.5 Billion Industry

With the stroke of a pen, Governor Abbott could eliminate 53,000 jobs and criminalize farmers who believed in their government's promises

Photo by Matteo Paganelli on Unsplash

Kyle Bingham spent everything preparing his hemp fields. The land was tilled, herbicides applied, seeds ready. Then came the news that would destroy his family's future: Texas was about to make him a felon for farming.

"At this point, they're threatening a felony so I'm out," Bingham told reporters, his voice heavy with betrayal. "I'm not risking a felony over this, and I think most farmers in Texas will stop growing too."

Welcome to the Texas Hemp Massacre of 2025.

From Agricultural Savior to Public Enemy

The whiplash is breathtaking. In 2019, Texas lawmakers unanimously passed hemp legalization. They sold it as:

• A drought-resistant crop for struggling farmers

• An economic lifeline for rural communities

• A boost to agricultural innovation

Six years later? Those same politicians want to burn it all down.

The Numbers Don't Lie (But Politicians Do)

The Texas hemp industry has become an economic powerhouse:

• Annual sales: $5.5 billion

• Jobs created: 53,382

• Total wages: $2.1 billion

• Tax revenue: $268 million annually

• Businesses supported: 8,500+

Senate Bill 3 would obliterate all of it. Economic analysis shows:

• 40,201 workers would lose their jobs

• $10.2 billion in economic activity would vanish

• 6,350 businesses would be forced to close

• Texas would forfeit $267.7 million in annual tax revenue

The Human Faces of Betrayal

Ann Gauger's family built one of America's largest hemp operations based on Texas's promises. Now she faces complete ruin:

"We wouldn't be in the hemp business in a million years if they hadn't passed that bill. Now we're one of the largest hemp producers in the U.S., and their ban is going to shut that down."

Her crime? Believing her government.

The Science That Politicians Ignore

Here's the fundamental truth destroying Texas hemp: You cannot grow hemp without trace amounts of THC. It's biologically impossible.

Senate Bill 3 demands the impossible—hemp with zero THC. It's like demanding water without hydrogen. The result? Every hemp farmer becomes a felon.

The Political Theater of the Absurd

The cast of this tragedy deserves recognition:

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick - The architect of destruction, claiming farmers "exploited a loophole" by doing exactly what the state told them to do.

Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller - Originally called the ban a "sledgehammer" to farmers. Then deleted his post and now supports destroying the industry. Political courage at its finest.

Governor Greg Abbott - Holding 53,000 jobs hostage while he mulls his decision. His deadline: June 22.

What Farmers Face Right Now

The immediate crisis:

• Planting season paralysis: Farmers can't plant while awaiting Abbott's decision

• Stranded investments: Millions in equipment and infrastructure becoming worthless

• Inventory destruction: Any products with detectable THC must be destroyed by September 1

• Felony prosecution: Farmers risk criminal charges for crops already in the ground

The Alternatives That Aren't

State officials suggest farmers pivot to industrial hemp for rope and construction materials. The problems:

• Texas has zero processing facilities for industrial hemp

• No established supply chains exist

• Industrial hemp generates fraction of revenue

• Markets remain largely theoretical

It's like telling oil workers to switch to selling sand.

The Broader Agricultural Betrayal

This isn't just about hemp. It's about:

• Regulatory stability: What crop gets banned next?

• Investment confidence: Who invests when laws reverse overnight?

• Innovation climate: Why try new crops if politicians can destroy you?

• Rural economics: Another blow to struggling farming communities

The Mobilization

The resistance is unprecedented:

• 118,000 signatures delivered to Abbott

• Veterans groups pleading for access to hemp products

• 68% of Texas Republican voters oppose the ban

• Farmers threatening lawsuits if the bill passes

What's Really Happening Here

This isn't about public safety. It's about:

• Political theater in an election cycle

• Confusion between hemp and marijuana

• Protecting pharmaceutical interests

• Politicians who made promises they won't keep

The Clock Is Ticking

Governor Abbott has until June 22 to:

• Sign the bill: Destroy a thriving industry

• Veto it: Save 53,000 jobs

• Do nothing: Let it become law anyway

The smart money says Abbott signs. Political courage is rare in Austin.

The Lasting Damage

Even if Abbott vetoes, the damage is done:

• Farmers have already canceled plantings

• Investors are fleeing to other states

• Trust in government promises is shattered

• Texas's agricultural innovation reputation is trashed

What This Means for America

As Texas goes, so goes the nation? Other states are watching. If Texas can destroy a $5.5 billion industry overnight, nowhere is safe. The message to farmers everywhere: Don't trust government promises. Don't invest in innovation. Stick to corn and cotton.

The Bottom Line

Senate Bill 3 represents everything wrong with modern politics:

• Short-term pandering over long-term planning

• Ignorance of science and economics

• Betrayal of constituents who believed in government

• Destruction of livelihoods for political gain

Kyle Bingham will plant cotton this year instead of hemp. Ann Gauger will watch her empire crumble. Thousands of workers will lose their jobs. Rural communities will lose millions in economic activity.

All because Texas politicians decided to massacre an industry they created.

The hemp plants won't be the only things burning in Texas this summer. Trust in government, faith in agricultural innovation, and hope for rural economic development will go up in smoke too. The Texas Hemp Massacre isn't just an agricultural tragedy—it's a betrayal of everything Texas claims to stand for: freedom, enterprise, and keeping government out of people's business.

Unless, of course, that business is hemp.