Texas House Approves Bill to Expand Medical Marijuana Program

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Texas House Bill 1535 has been initially passed in the Texas House of Representatives, which means more Texans could qualify for medical marijuana.

The bill, authored by Representative Stephanie Klick of Fort Worth, would authorize the Department of State Health Services to add additional qualifying conditions through administrative rulemaking, according to the Texas Tribune. Under the new bill, those with chronic pain and debilitating medical conditions would qualify for the medical marijuana program.

KAMC News reports that on Wednesday, April 28th, the bill was amended to include all forms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Before, only veterans with PTSD qualified for the medical marijuana program, but now survivors of things such as sexual assault can qualify for the program, as well.

On top of this, the bill would also raise the THC cap from 0.5% to 5% by weight. This makes it possible for those in the medical marijuana program to have access to higher doses than is currently available. Director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy says that the increased THC limit is a "step in the right direction," but it continues to limit doctors from deciding proper dosages for patients. She thinks that doctors need to be the ones making the decisions on what levels of THC to be giving to patients, not lawmakers.

The bill still needs to be read a third time on the House floor for its final passage, and if it clears then, it will go to the Texas Senate for approval before being signed into law by the Governor.