Marijuana
John Cornyn (R)
Cornyn has consistently opposed federal marijuana legalization, rescheduling, and decriminalization, citing public-health and law-enforcement concerns. He voted against the MORE Act in committee work and has expressed concern about the SAFER Banking Act's interaction with federal scheduling. He supported the Hemp Farming Act's regulated industrial hemp framework but has expressed concern about delta-8 THC loopholes and supports federal-level closure of the high-THC hemp gap. He has not joined Paxton's lawsuits against Texas municipalities over local decriminalization ordinances and treats those as a state matter. The two candidates broadly agree on the federal-prohibition framework but diverge on AG-style enforcement against local municipalities.
Ken Paxton (R)
Paxton sued six Texas cities (Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin, Denton, and Dallas) between 2024 and 2025 over local decriminalization ordinances and ballot measures. He calls cannabis 'an illicit substance that psychologists have increasingly linked to psychosis and other negative consequences.' After SB 3 (the legislative THC ban) failed in two special sessions and Gov. Abbott vetoed it, Paxton's office and DSHS used administrative rulemaking to impose a 'total delta-9 THC' calculation effectively banning most current hemp products. The Texas Hemp Business Council sued Paxton and DSHS in April 2026 over those rules. His position holds that municipalities cannot pick and choose which state laws they enforce.
Sources
- Sen. John Cornyn, official Senate website and 2026 re-election campaign issues page, accessed May 2026 (cornyn.senate.gov; johncornyn.com). (full list)
- Texas Attorney General, 'Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Five Cities Over Marijuana Policies,' Jan. 2024; lawsuit against Dallas Proposition R, Nov. 2024. (full list)