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Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday signed legislation to significantly expand the state’s medical cannabis program. The new law opens the program to additional patients and products while allowing more licensed operators, leading cannabis policy reform advocacy group the Marijuana Policy Project to declare that Texas has become “the 40th state to legalize medical cannabis.”
“Following in the footsteps of 39 other states, Texas has embraced a commonsense policy that will ensure that Texans facing serious medical conditions have access to a medicine that’s already successfully improving lives nationwide,” Lauren Daly, MPP interim executive director, said in a statement from the group. “This new law is a direct result of overwhelming public support, acknowledging medical cannabis as a valuable, scientifically supported option for managing chronic pain and debilitating illnesses.”
The legislation, House Bill 46 (HB 46), was approved by the Texas House of Representatives on May 13. The state Senate passed an amended version of the bill on May 27, leading to the creation of a conference committee to rectify the differences between the two bills. Both chambers passed the compromise bill on June 2, sending the measure to Abbott for his consideration.
The passage of the compromise medical marijuana program expansion bill was welcomed by cannabis policy reform advocates, including members of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center.
“For 10 years, most patients have been excluded from participating in the Compassionate Use Program,” Heather Fazio, executive director of the group, told Marijuana Moment at the time. “We’re happy to see that the legislature is finally expanding the program in a meaningful way.”
New Law Expands Texas’ Medical Cannabis Program
The new law expands the list of conditions that qualify a patient to use medical marijuana, adding chronic pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases. End-of-life patients in palliative or hospice care would also qualify for the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), as the state’s medical cannabis program is known.
The measure also expands the types of cannabis products authorized by the TCUP, adding medical marijuana patches and topicals, as well as suppositories, approved inhalers, nebulizers and vaping devices. The legislation also directs the state Department of Public Safety to increase the number of medical cannabis business licenses from three to 15. Licensed providers would also be allowed to operate approved satellite locations.
Under HB 46, medical cannabis patient registrations will be valid for one year, online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment noted in a report on Saturday. Registered patients will be allowed up to four refills of a 90-day supply of medical cannabis products. Licensed cannabis products will be limited to one gram of total THC per package, with a maximum of 10 milligrams THC allowed per dose.
The new law broadens the scope of the TCUP, which was previously limited to patients with one of only eight qualifying medical conditions. The program also limited options for cannabis use, allowing only non-smokable products with less than 0.5% THC.
“For too long, the existing Texas Compassionate Use Program has been severely limited, leaving countless Texans without the relief they desperately need,” said Kevin Caldwell, MPP Southeast legislative manager. “Texans have spoken, and their voices have been heard. HB 46 will expand access to medical cannabis, a relatively safe and effective treatment option that has long been sought by patients suffering from pain and several other serious medical conditions.”
HB 46 requires state regulators to develop rules to implement the legislation by October 1.
“}]] Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill to expand the state’s limited medical marijuana program, making the state the 40th to meaningfully legalize medical cannabis. Read More
