Bridgett Brumbaugh, J.D., L.L.M., argues new THC regulations lack data and reflect politics over proof
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As new THC regulations take effect across Texas, one legal expert is questioning the basis of the crackdown.
Bridgett Brumbaugh, a Texas attorney and privacy law scholar, is drawing attention to the absence of data showing minors were ever purchasing hemp-derived THC, despite emergency rules restricting sales and threatening business licenses.
"If lawmakers can't show data that minors were buying hemp products, why are we calling this an emergency?" said Brumbaugh. "This policy looks more like political theater than public safety."
Under the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's new rules, THC retailers must ID every customer and deny sales to anyone under 21.
Yet, according to Brumbaugh, no state agency has produced evidence of widespread underage access, even as Texas law still permits parents to legally purchase alcohol for their children.(TABC Sec. 106.04)
"We've created a system where a parent can buy whiskey for their teen, but a store can lose its license for selling a hemp gummy to a 20-year-old," Brumbaugh said.
"If the goal is protecting minors, policy should follow data, not optics."
The enforcement follows Executive Order GA-56, signed by Governor Greg Abbott, which directs multiple agencies to heighten oversight of hemp-derived THC products. The measure comes months after the veto of Senate Bill 3, which would have banned consumable hemp products entirely.
Brumbaugh's full analysis, "Selective Morality: Texas' THC Crackdown and the Politics of Proof," is available on LinkedIn and in her Medium publication, Law, Life & Athletics (LLA).
The article argues that Texas' approach reflects political signaling and selective outrage rather than evidence-based policymaking.
She urges lawmakers and agencies to publish compliance data, audit reports, and youth access statistics before expanding regulation further.
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