Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico called the new state ban on many types of THC products, which went into effect Friday, “a gift to the cartels.” His Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, has previously sued Texas cities for decriminalizing marijuana. DOMINIC ANTHONY WALSH / TEXAS PUBLIC RADIOA recent Texas state ban on several forms of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the main intoxicating component in cannabis, is already becoming an issue in this year's U.S. Senate election. The new ban applies to all synthetically created THC forms, including delta-8, delta-10, THCA flower and THCP. Houston Public Media reached out to the Republican Senate nominee, Attorney General Ken Paxton, for comment but had yet to receive a response before publication.