Expanded medical marijuana bill heads to Texas Senate

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Nearly 75% of the US states have legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes – the first was in California in 1996.

Texas has a medical cannabis program for certain patients 25 years later, but the allowable amount of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is only slightly higher than standard commercial CBD products. THC is the psychoactive component in marijuana.

A State House bill could potentially expand the current program in Texas to more patients, increasing the THC limit from 0.5 wt% to 5 wt%.

House bill 1535 passed the Texas House last week.

The bill extends the state’s medical marijuana program to all Texans with cancer. People with chronic pain and debilitating medical conditions would also qualify. HB 1535 was changed last week to include all forms of diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and not for veterans with PTSD as originally introduced.

KXAN’s Tom Miller met with The Texas Tribune’s Cassi Pollock to discuss this bill and other events in depth at the Texas Capitol this week.