LT. Gov. Dan Patrick’s THC Ban Proposal Backfires
AUSTIN — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made headlines when he tossed a bag of THC-infused snacks to reporters during an emotionally charged press conference on a proposed THC ban and said the treats were poisoning children and adults.
Now Hometown Hero, the company that makes and sells that particular bag of THC-infused Cocoa Crisp-flavored cereal bites — and one of the larger thorns in Patrick’s side these days — is doubling down on the free advertising with a namesake promo code and a sale on the now-famous bags of caramels, cereal bites and gummies.
The Promo Code and Sale
“The coupon code is DANSDELIGHT,” said Hometown Hero CEO and co-founder Lukas Gilkey in a cheeky 47-second ad as he held up the products that Patrick displayed for the TV cameras in late May. “Absolutely amazing.”
The caption on the video reads: “Is this A. a scene from Reefer Madness or B. the best sales pitch you’ve ever seen?” The pinned TikTok video had 1.2 million views by Thursday.
Political Points
@hometownheroatx
We’ve secured the exact box from Lt. Dan Patrick’s office from his SB3 press conference, hand curated with his favorite goodies, and in honor of the press conference he held for SB3, we’ll be selling this whole box for $99 with code DANSDELIGHT on our website!
♬ original sound – Hometown Hero ATX
Patrick’s Response
Patrick responded on X by posting a graphic of cannabis plants and the words: “THC Texas Health Compromised.”
Patrick, a Republican, has waged war on consumable products containing hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, for months — a battle that culminated in a total ban on all retail THC landing on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.
Patrick’s Press Conference
He has posted a video of himself entering a smoke shop and getting asked for identification, made impassioned speeches for social media from his desk at the Texas Capitol and released a video of himself passing a box of the snacks over to a police officer.
“Take all of this THC, which is poisoning kids and adults,” Patrick says to the Texas Department of Public Safety trooper as he hands over the white cardboard box filled with consumables.
The Proposed Ban
As Abbott considered whether to veto the hotly debated ban — which he ultimately did — Patrick turned up the heat during a press conference in which he laid out several Hometown Hero products on a table.
Flanked by law enforcement and senators, Patrick railed against the lack of quality testing in the market, the proliferation of THC shops near schools and what he described as the unscrupulous sellers who “want to kill your kids.”
Patrick’s Attack on Hometown Hero
Then he let fly a package of Hometown Hero treats toward the nearest reporter — an intern at KUT 90.5 FM, the NPR station in Austin — and asked if they wanted it.
“Does anyone want to try any of this? Would you buy anything off the shelf that you didn’t know what was in it, that could change your whole mental state for the rest of your life? Would you want that? Anybody want this bag?” he said. “Catch. You want it? I don’t think you want it. You wouldn’t dare buy it. You wouldn’t let your children, your grandchildren buy it. And by the way, come September, all this will be illegal anyway.”
Gilkey’s Response
That he chose Hometown Hero’s products to lambaste — in what is arguably one of the most-watched press conferences in recent memory at the Capitol — is probably no accident.
As head of one of the largest players in the Texas consumable hemp game, Gilkey has been in fisticuffs with Patrick and bill author Sen. Charles Perry for months.
Hometown Hero’s Business
Gilkey’s Austin-based business manufactures and distributes hemp-derived THC and CBD products, offering them online as well, and also owns a hemp farm in the Hill Country. The company has been operating since 2015.
Senate Bill 3 would have criminalized all of his products except those that contain cannabidiol (CBD), which is hemp-derived but nonpsychoactive and has federal approval as a treatment for some seizure disorders.
The Veto and Special Session
Proponents point to a lack of age limits or testing requirements, the proliferation of vape shops near schools and day cares, the difficulty law enforcement has in rooting out bad actors and the health risks involved in consuming unregulated intoxicating products.
Abbott vetoed the bill on June 22 and called lawmakers into a special session starting July 21 to find a way to regulate the $8 billion industry that has created some 55,000 jobs and is strongly supported by veterans who use it for trauma and addiction when they can’t access medical marijuana.
Gilkey’s Testimony
Gilkey has been the most vocal of the retailers and has repeatedly been on the receiving end of anger and vitriol from Perry during hearings as he railed against the Lubbock Republican’s proposed ban.
“This industry has created over 50,000 jobs for Texans,” Gilkey told Perry during an October hearing on the industry. “And I know, I know you aren’t a huge fan of us in what we do, but I do have to give you some credit for that. You created 50,000 jobs for Texans. That’s a really, really big deal, sir.”
The Dan’s Delight Box
After being targeted at the May presser, Hometown Hero assembled a box that looked just like the one Patrick handed to the state trooper in his follow-up video and filled it with the exact snacks Patrick had laid out on the table.
!n the video, which is spliced with the footage of Patrick handing the box over to the officer, Gilkey takes an identical box from a person off-screen — not a police officer, presumably, although it’s unclear — that is filled with the same snacks.
“Thank you, officer,” Gilkey says. “Appreciate all you do.”
Out of the box, he pulls one product after another: Cereal bites in three different flavors (cinnamon, chocolate and fruity rainbow), caramels (a crowd pleaser, according to the comments) and gummies for day or night — all infused with hemp-derived THC.
“This is the box from Dan Patrick’s office. Hand-curated,” Gilkey says in the video, which has gotten millions of views on social media this week. “All of these products — straight from Dan Patrick’s office to you! This box is $99 for all of this. It is the steal of the century. Ingredients on all the packaging, full-panel testing so you know exactly what is in these products. Absolutely amazing. Love you guys. Happy hunting. Enjoy.”
Sales Take Off
Sales have clearly taken off. One day after the video was posted last week, the boxes were flying off the shelves, according to post responses.
“Just got my Dan’s Delight box — love it,” one user wrote on the Facebook reel.
“Ordered my box!!” wrote another. “Can’t wait to get it!! Hope it helps my debilitating arthritis so I can actually function!!”
Conclusion
The controversy surrounding Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s proposed THC ban has been a hot topic in Texas politics. Hometown Hero, a company that manufactures and distributes hemp-derived THC and CBD products, has been at the center of the debate. The company’s CEO, Lukas Gilkey, has been vocal in his opposition to the ban, and his company has even launched a promo code and sale in response to Patrick’s attacks. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how the issue will be resolved.
