Governor Abbott Signs Bill Expanding Texas Medical Cannabis Program



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AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Governor Greg Abbott has enacted a bill to expand conditions for the state's medical marijuana program.

The Compassionate's 2015 Compassionate Usage Program currently only concerns Texan patients with persistent epilepsy. House Bill 3703, tabled by Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, extends the Texas Compassionate Use Program to serve patients with terminal cancer, autism, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, seizures and incurable neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. . The changes will come into effect on September 1 st.

When the bill was approved by the Texas Senate at the end of May, Senator Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, said the bill was about compassion.

"This is a success for patients who, in our opinion, should help medical cannabis, CBD oil," said Campbell. "It does not work, is it a panacea to help heal the process of the disease?" Will CBD oil help relieve pain, relieve spasticity, relieve some of the muscle problems that people may have? There is no great data, but there are many case studies and I hope that will help.

Medical marijuana advocates say they hope lawmakers will consider adding other conditions to the program in the future. Legislators stated that they wanted to see more scientific studies conducted on issues such as PTSD before including it as a condition eligible for the program.

"Today is a positive day for Texas and for Texans whose suffering could be alleviated through legal and safe access to the CBD," said Morris Denton, CEO of the Compassionate Cultivation Clinic. "And while we want even greater legal access to this life-changing drug – especially our veterans and those suffering from PTSD – we are encouraged by this positive step taken by our legislators, the governor and the governor to expand the Compassionate Use Program. "

Other groups echoed a similar sentiment.

"Cannabis is an effective medicine for many patients with debilitating medical conditions," said Heather Fazio, director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, in a statement. "HB 3703 represents a positive step towards a functional medical cannabis program, but unfortunately, it still leaves millions of Texas families who could benefit from legal access to the compassionate use program."

HB 3703 maintains the current Texas dose restriction at 0.5% THC. The Texas Department of Public Safety will continue to oversee and regulate the program.

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