Joe Rogan says a key reason that Texas Republicans did so poorly in last week’s midterm elections is because members of the party pushed to ban THC products that had been legal in the state when derived from hemp.
“They fucked up,” Rogan said on an episode of his Austin-based podcast that was posted on Wednesday. “Texas fucked up. They passed some crazy laws banning THC products, and it’s probably cost them the election.”
He made the comments after his guest, mixed martial arts fighter Paddy Pimblett, cracked open a Willie’s Remedy THC drink from musician Willie Nelson’s company.
“The Willie’s is legit,” Rogan said. “I don’t know how legal or illegal it is in this goofy-ass fucking [state]. It’s a problem, for now.”
When Pimblett, who is from England, said he was under the impression that cannabis was legal in Texas, Rogan replied that “it should be.”
“It’s fucking stupid. It’s legal in Colorado. It’s legal in New York now. It’s legal everywhere,” the podcaster said. “Texas is ass-backwards when it comes to weed, and it cost them the election—part of what cost them the election.”
“It’s all gross. I hate it,” Rogan said. “I don’t like politics at all.”
Ahead of Election Day, Rogan tried to warn Texas Republicans to modernize their stance on marijuana on an earlier episode of his podcast in August.
“They’ve done the THC thing,” he said at the time. “Here’s what Texas doesn’t understand. You will fuck this place up and you will turn the whole thing blue.”
“Kids will turn on you if you tell them they can’t smoke weed,” the podcaster said. “They know weed’s not killing anybody.”
In last week’s elections Texas voters gave Democrats majority control of the House of Representatives and every statewide office on the ballot, including governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, agriculture commissioner and a U.S. Senate seat.
Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin (D) in particular focused on cannabis during her campaign, repeatedly criticizing incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) for pushing a hemp THC product ban though the legislature that Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ultimately vetoed.
Following that veto, however, state agencies advanced restrictive rules that effectively banned many hemp products and which are currently being challenged in court.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in the House and Senate have already prefiled bills for the 2027 session to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas, expand medical cannabis access and enact other reforms—with key elected officials beginning to discuss the possibility of bipartisan cooperation on the issue.
Voters in Houston this month approved a ballot initiative to make misdemeanor marijuana possession the “lowest possible enforcement priority” for local police while also banning no-knock warrants.
Sen.-elect James Talarico (D-TX) has said he wants to parter with President Donald Trump to federally legalize marijuana.
Image element courtesy of Joe Rogan.
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