Introduction
Tejas Tonic, a full-spectrum THC water, has become a headline in Texas as the state’s cannabis industry faces new regulatory pressure. The product was created by former rancher Aaron Owens, who saw the medical benefits of CBD for a Parkinson’s patient and later pivoted to THC-infused beverages. Meanwhile, the Texas Department of State Health Services is proposing rule changes that could shutter almost 10,000 smokable-hemp businesses.
At a Glance
- Tejas Tonic launched after the 2020 hemp-farming approval in Texas.
- Founder Aaron Owens transitioned from ranching to cannabis after treating a Parkinson’s patient with CBD.
- In 2025, a veto protected the industry, but new rules threaten smokable hemp.
- Why it matters: The changes could reshape Texas’s cannabis market and affect thousands of small businesses.
Tejas Tonic’s Origins
Owens grew up in West Texas, running a cattle and goat ranch for 16 years. In 2014, a pilot program for industrial hemp opened a door. He received a call from a Colorado friend who was extracting CBD from hemp. Owens tried the oil on a 72-year-old saddle-maker suffering from Parkinson’s. After 25 mg twice a day, the patient’s pain eased, his hands stopped shaking, and he could keep his business open.
Owens saw a medical opportunity and, in 2017, formed Tejas Hemp. He sold legal full-spectrum CBD to ranchers for a year, then began farming his own hemp in 2020 when Texas legalized the crop. He explained that CBD isolate is only about 1 % as effective as full-spectrum, using a football metaphor: “It’s like taking the quarterback of a football team and forcing him to play a whole football team by himself.”
Two weeks before COVID, Owens launched Tejas Tonic: a water infused with full-spectrum THC. The label reads, “It ain’t alcohol. It ain’t synthetic. It’s tasty & all natural.”
Full-Spectrum Advantage
Owens emphasizes that THC alone cannot calm the central nervous system. The combined cannabinoids and terpenes lower anxiety more effectively. He told me, “We don’t have oil money behind us,” and that the company sold goats to fund the venture.
The company’s breakthrough came in November 2022 when Owens sold his 4,000 acres and livestock-except two horses and a dog-to focus entirely on Tejas Tonic.
Political Landscape
In 2025, Texas lawmakers vetoed a bill that would have restricted the industry. Owens said, “We lost to the bill, but we won through the veto. Texas is finally on the map, and we are pro-hemp.” He also noted that the agricultural appropriations bill surprised the industry, “kicking our teeth in.”
Owens expects another federal battle but remains optimistic: “In the big picture, we’re winning.”
Smokable Hemp at Risk
The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is proposing rulemaking that could remove smokable hemp from the market. Cannabis consultant Nick Mortillaro, co-owner of LazyDaze and executive director of Hemp Industry Leaders of Texas, warned, “Smokable cannabis is being taken away by a rulemaking agency (not the Legislature) and almost 10,000 businesses will be impacted, more than 6,000 are estimated to close. These products have been available in stores across Texas for more than seven years. My licensing fees will be increasing 90 times, from $500 to $45,000,000.”
In 2020, a lawsuit challenged DSHS’s authority to ban smokable hemp. The state conceded but is now attempting a similar tactic with a new compliance threshold.
Timeline of Key Events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Pilot hemp program begins |
| 2017 | Tejas Hemp founded |
| 2020 | Texas legalizes hemp farming |
| 2022 | Owens sells assets, focuses on Tejas Tonic |
| 2025 | Veto protects industry |
| 2026 | DSHS proposes smokable-hemp rulemaking |
Takeaway
- Tejas Tonic’s success stems from a commitment to full-spectrum THC and local, natural production.
- Owens’s journey illustrates how medical necessity can spark entrepreneurial innovation.
- Texas lawmakers’ veto in 2025 kept the industry alive, but new DSHS rules threaten smokable-hemp businesses.
- Small growers and retailers must stay informed and advocate to protect their livelihoods.
Key Takeaways
- Full-spectrum products offer greater therapeutic benefits than isolates.
- Political action can either safeguard or jeopardize the cannabis market.
- Smokable hemp could disappear if new regulations take effect.
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Categories
Business News, Political News, Health News
