Texas Lawmakers Clash Over Medical Marijuana Expansion
The Texas Senate has passed an amendment to a bill expanding medical marijuana use in the state, significantly reducing the number of eligible patients. The amendment, added to the proposed legislation by the Senate Committee on State Affairs, cuts chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, and other conditions from the list of qualifying conditions.
The move has sparked outrage among Texas House representatives, who had previously passed a version of the bill that included a broader expansion of medical marijuana use. The House version of the bill would have allowed honorably discharged veterans, individuals with chronic pain, glaucoma, traumatic brain injury, and other conditions to use medical marijuana.
Representatives such as Daniel Alders, Katrina Pierson, Tim Oliverson, Nate Schatzline, and Dustin Burrows have expressed strong disapproval of the Senate’s amendment, vowing to fight for the original, broader expansion. Alders, who is a Republican, stated on social media that the Senate needs to expand the program to include chronic pain and traumatic brain injury, as well as increase the number of licenses issued and allow prescriptions to be written by mail.
The amendment is now headed to the full Senate for a vote, after which it will be sent back to the House. If the House and Senate cannot come to an agreement on the provisions in the bill, it will not make it to the governor’s desk.
The controversy surrounding medical marijuana in Texas comes as lawmakers are also considering a bill that would prohibit the sale or use of THC products, which are currently legal in the state. Small business owners are leading the opposition to the bill, which they claim would result in the loss of business and revenue.
