June 23, 2025 • 6 mins
“Who’s really calling the shots in Texas—morality or money?” That’s the fiery question at the heart of this episode of The Ben and Skin Show, where hosts Ben Rogers, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina Ray dive headfirst into one of the most surprising political twists in recent Texas history.In a move that stunned both sides of the aisle, Governor Greg Abbott vetoed a bill that would have banned all THC products, including Delta-8. The crew breaks down what this means for Texas’ booming hemp industry, the 55,000 jobs that just dodged a bullet, and the deeper cultural clash between old-school Baptist conservatism and modern economic pragmatism.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ben and Skin Show ninety seven point one The Eagle,
Don't forget big Draft party on Wednesday, and we are
going to be doing.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Our show live at the AAC.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
It's the Ben and Skin Draft Party from three to six,
brought to you by the k Post Company. Those fine
folks built the roofs on all DFW Sports teams homes
at and T Global Life Field and American Airlines Center,
and they are sponsoring our draft coverage this year. Not
only our draft party from three to six, but then
right after the Mavericks Draft party at the AAC will
be simulcast right here on ninety seven point one The Eagle,
(00:32):
the home of Dallas Mavericks Basketball from six to nine,
all brought to you by the k Post Company. We
will talk a little NBA Finals here at the bottom
of the hour, but right now it's time for this.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
And now it's time for Benson's weekday up Day, featuring
veteran news anchor ktth On tweets. Here are the important
stories he's currently tracking from around the world.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Here Kevin's not here today.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
I'm Senate Bill three, and I would like to ban
the possession, sale, and manufacture of all THC products miss
Picky Babe.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Sorry, that was dumb. That was really good.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
This would also include Delta eight THHC, which Texas lawmakers
in twenty nineteen were like, hey, fine, yeah, we can
have it.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
They legalized it then. So last night was the deadline.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Governor Greg Abbott's got all these bills standing on his desk.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And he's reading them, and he's been getting letters.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
From all kinds of people, and he said, I'm gonna
call here, you can get up to that midnight deadline,
and he decided to veto the THCHC ban bill. So
for now, this multi billion dollar hemp you know, industry
gets to survive another day. Fifty five thousand jobs saved.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
For now. Christine's in their clapping, It's like, hell yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Oh, saving jobs, saving job, more jobs in this economy,
let's go. This also will benefit military veterans, anyone who's
dealt with some traumatic stuff and they rely on these
THHC products, you know, to help them get through.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
So I think this is one of the most fascinating
things that's happened in Texas politics in a long time.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I absolutely thought this was going to get banned.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Well, you know him, he's never really said anything about it,
and the fact that he stayed out of it is
an indication that, you know, he's not going along party
lines on this, and there are things to consider and
it is a complex issue. And you know, you guys
have heard me say this a million times on the air.
(02:33):
I thought weed and gambling would be legal in Texas
much sooner rather than later because of the economic impact.
And I'm like, this is a very red state, and
for the most part, economics is what drives, you know,
the red constituency. And we have this independent state that
operates autonomously for all these reasons, for business purposes.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
But this is their unique area.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Where a lot of people want to put morality into
this sort of thing. And so the fact that Abbot
held out to the last minute and then vetoed it
and said, hey, we need to do a special session
in July, to me at least as an indication he's like,
I'm not on board with this.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
We are letting a part of our party.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
You know, I'm some strictly the red because this is Texas, man,
the moral part of the party. Ramrod something home that
a lot of us don't necessarily believe in. We need
to talk through this and we're not just gonna let
Dan Patrick pound the table and get what he wants.
This is really unique that Abbot waited to do this
and did it the way that he did. Who's more
powerful of those two guys, That's a great question. It
(03:43):
really comes down to the money that's backing them, and
in a lot of cases, you know, it's a lot
of the same money that's backing them. But you know,
KT had this article from Texas Monthly that he read
last week talking about and like, if you're family has
been from Texas for a long time, like mine has,
(04:03):
you probably have some Baptist roots in your family.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I do, and that's always had a.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Really strong foothold in the rural areas of Texas, and
so things like gambling and alcohol, Like, dude, remember Ben
when you couldn't buy out when we were junior, you
couldn't buy alcohol on Sundays.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
Yeah, And I you know, we've had friends who you know,
I never knew too much about it, but we have
had friends who are like practicing Baptists, and they'd be
like having to go over in the shadows to they
don't want to be seen drinking. They don't want to
see to be drinking publicly. But they did drink public
you know, they did drink.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
If Uncle Johnny was out of family function, there was
no alcohol.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
If Uncle Johnny wasn't there, the booze was flowing, baby.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
And so my whole point is that, you know, that's
a strong part of the of the Red part of
our state is the old Baptist constituency, and they very
much are not against They're very not down with gambling,
not down with THC, not down with alcohol, and a
lot of those things. And it's a political rub and
it's not one of those things. It's just cut and
(05:08):
dry that all Republicans believe the same on because there
is a lot of money. And also in general Red
states are very very pro military, and dude, I can't
tell you how many dudes I know that we're in
the military that smoke because yes, the stress, yes, yeah.
And so it's just there's new ways of thinking about
(05:30):
things that don't go along with the old guard. And
you know, I give kudos to Abbott for not just
rubber stamping this because he's because there's such a strong
part of his part and quiet the marijuana time because
he doesn't agree with it, and We're in an era
when we were younger, people in the same political party
(05:51):
could disagree on stuff.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
It was healthy.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
It's how laws get made, it's how you find consensus.
Now everyone's scared to go against anybody in their own part.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
But by the way, let me just say weed's not legal.
Hundreds of this conversation could lead your wrong way, do right.
Delta eight TC is just a it's a it's a
form of TAC that you can compound with CBD or
something else that's like less psychoactive.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
So that's just that's important to say.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Like this, like weed's free now, but it's like those
drinks that we talk about, CBD gummies and things like that,
and a lot there's a lot of shops you know,
in places like that, so crazy stuff. Dude.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Yeah, all right. Coming up next, we'll catch up on sports.
Let's talk Game seven of the NBA Finals DFW. That's
coming up next
Ben and Skin Show ninety seven point one The Eagle,
Don't forget big Draft party on Wednesday, and we are
going to be doing.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Our show live at the AAC.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
It's the Ben and Skin Draft Party from three to six,
brought to you by the k Post Company. Those fine
folks built the roofs on all DFW Sports teams homes
at and T Global Life Field and American Airlines Center,
and they are sponsoring our draft coverage this year. Not
only our draft party from three to six, but then
right after the Mavericks Draft party at the AAC will
be simulcast right here on ninety seven point one The Eagle,
(00:32):
the home of Dallas Mavericks Basketball from six to nine,
all brought to you by the k Post Company. We
will talk a little NBA Finals here at the bottom
of the hour, but right now it's time for this.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
And now it's time for Benson's weekday up Day, featuring
veteran news anchor ktth On tweets. Here are the important
stories he's currently tracking from around the world.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Here Kevin's not here today.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
I'm Senate Bill three, and I would like to ban
the possession, sale, and manufacture of all THC products miss
Picky Babe.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Sorry, that was dumb. That was really good.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
This would also include Delta eight THHC, which Texas lawmakers
in twenty nineteen were like, hey, fine, yeah, we can
have it.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
They legalized it then. So last night was the deadline.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Governor Greg Abbott's got all these bills standing on his desk.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And he's reading them, and he's been getting letters.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
From all kinds of people, and he said, I'm gonna
call here, you can get up to that midnight deadline,
and he decided to veto the THCHC ban bill. So
for now, this multi billion dollar hemp you know, industry
gets to survive another day. Fifty five thousand jobs saved.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
For now. Christine's in their clapping, It's like, hell yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Oh, saving jobs, saving job, more jobs in this economy,
let's go. This also will benefit military veterans, anyone who's
dealt with some traumatic stuff and they rely on these
THHC products, you know, to help them get through.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
So I think this is one of the most fascinating
things that's happened in Texas politics in a long time.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I absolutely thought this was going to get banned.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Well, you know him, he's never really said anything about it,
and the fact that he stayed out of it is
an indication that, you know, he's not going along party
lines on this, and there are things to consider and
it is a complex issue. And you know, you guys
have heard me say this a million times on the air.
(02:33):
I thought weed and gambling would be legal in Texas
much sooner rather than later because of the economic impact.
And I'm like, this is a very red state, and
for the most part, economics is what drives, you know,
the red constituency. And we have this independent state that
operates autonomously for all these reasons, for business purposes.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
But this is their unique area.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Where a lot of people want to put morality into
this sort of thing. And so the fact that Abbot
held out to the last minute and then vetoed it
and said, hey, we need to do a special session
in July, to me at least as an indication he's like,
I'm not on board with this.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
We are letting a part of our party.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
You know, I'm some strictly the red because this is Texas, man,
the moral part of the party. Ramrod something home that
a lot of us don't necessarily believe in. We need
to talk through this and we're not just gonna let
Dan Patrick pound the table and get what he wants.
This is really unique that Abbot waited to do this
and did it the way that he did. Who's more
powerful of those two guys, That's a great question. It
(03:43):
really comes down to the money that's backing them, and
in a lot of cases, you know, it's a lot
of the same money that's backing them. But you know,
KT had this article from Texas Monthly that he read
last week talking about and like, if you're family has
been from Texas for a long time, like mine has,
(04:03):
you probably have some Baptist roots in your family.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I do, and that's always had a.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Really strong foothold in the rural areas of Texas, and
so things like gambling and alcohol, Like, dude, remember Ben
when you couldn't buy out when we were junior, you
couldn't buy alcohol on Sundays.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
Yeah, And I you know, we've had friends who you know,
I never knew too much about it, but we have
had friends who are like practicing Baptists, and they'd be
like having to go over in the shadows to they
don't want to be seen drinking. They don't want to
see to be drinking publicly. But they did drink public
you know, they did drink.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
If Uncle Johnny was out of family function, there was
no alcohol.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
If Uncle Johnny wasn't there, the booze was flowing, baby.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
And so my whole point is that, you know, that's
a strong part of the of the Red part of
our state is the old Baptist constituency, and they very
much are not against They're very not down with gambling,
not down with THC, not down with alcohol, and a
lot of those things. And it's a political rub and
it's not one of those things. It's just cut and
(05:08):
dry that all Republicans believe the same on because there
is a lot of money. And also in general Red
states are very very pro military, and dude, I can't
tell you how many dudes I know that we're in
the military that smoke because yes, the stress, yes, yeah.
And so it's just there's new ways of thinking about
(05:30):
things that don't go along with the old guard. And
you know, I give kudos to Abbott for not just
rubber stamping this because he's because there's such a strong
part of his part and quiet the marijuana time because
he doesn't agree with it, and We're in an era
when we were younger, people in the same political party
(05:51):
could disagree on stuff.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
It was healthy.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
It's how laws get made, it's how you find consensus.
Now everyone's scared to go against anybody in their own part.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
But by the way, let me just say weed's not legal.
Hundreds of this conversation could lead your wrong way, do right.
Delta eight TC is just a it's a it's a
form of TAC that you can compound with CBD or
something else that's like less psychoactive.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
So that's just that's important to say.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Like this, like weed's free now, but it's like those
drinks that we talk about, CBD gummies and things like that,
and a lot there's a lot of shops you know,
in places like that, so crazy stuff. Dude.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Yeah, all right. Coming up next, we'll catch up on sports.
Let's talk Game seven of the NBA Finals DFW. That's
coming up next
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