Texas Lawmakers Pass Bill to Expand Medical Cannabis Program

Texas lawmakers on Sunday passed a bill to expand the state’s medical
cannabis program, moving it to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for his signature, the Fort
Worth Star-Telegram reports. The bill adds traumatic brain injuries,
chronic pain, and a terminal illness or condition that requires hospice to
the program.

The bill also raises the number of dispensing organizations from three to
15, allows vaporized or aerosolized medical cannabis delivery – smoking
remains banned, however – and allows for satellite locations where
dispensing organizations can securely store medical cannabis for
distribution. Previously, products could only be stored overnight at an
organization’s main location, which created distribution challenges.

The reforms come as lawmakers last week passed a total ban on THC in the
state. Abbott has not yet taken action on the proposed law.

The legislation passed on Sunday defines chronic pain as “pain that is not
relieved with acute, post-surgical, post-procedure or persistent
non-chronic pain treatment and is associated with a chronic pathological
process that causes continuous or intermittent severe pain for more than 90
days and for which a tetrahydrocannabinol is a viable method of treatment.”

The version that passed out of the state House in May also expressly
included glaucoma, degenerative disc disease, and spinal neuropathy – the
conditions are expected to be covered under the chronic pain clause.