Abbott pointed to the Arkansas legal fight when he vetoed Texas' THC ban, saying it would face valid legal challenges. A court has since upheld Arkansas' ban.

Political observers said having the two top state leaders at odds with each other is raising questions about a possible split within the Republican-run state.

The survey from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin found that 53% of Texas voters opposed the ban approved by the Legislature, Senate Bill 3, during the regular session that ended earlier this month. Thirty-one percent of voters voiced support for the ban.