Texas Expanding Legal Cannabis Access Before Wider Ban
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Texas could be set to expand access to legal cannabis after a wider ban of THC products was passed in the state House last week.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said on Monday that he had had a "positive conversation" with State Representative Tom Oliverson about expanding eligibility for the state's medical marijuana program, the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP).
Under the new plans, chronic pain, terminal illness and hospice care would become qualifying conditions for eligibility.
Newsweek has contacted Patrick and Oliverson's offices for comment outside of regular working hours.
Marijuana plants being grown in Manchaca, Texas.
Marijuana plants being grown in Manchaca, Texas.
Eric Gay/AP
Why It Matters
The dual-track legislative push represents a significant shift for Texas, which could soon have some of the strictest THC product bans in the U.S., while also increasing access to medical marijuana for select patients.
A poll from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs indicated that more than 60 percent of Texas residents support legalizing marijuana.
What To Know
On Wednesday last week, the State House voted to ban all consumable THC hemp products. If Senate Bill 3 is signed into law, the TCUP will become the only way for people in the state to access THC products.
House Bill 46 is now being pushed forward by lawmakers, as it would expand the number of people eligible for the medical marijuana program.
Lieutenant Governor Patrick said on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday that he and Representative Oliverson would be expanding licenses to 12 new dispensary organizations across the state.
He added that they would look to add satellite locations in each public health region of the state "for the first time ever," meaning patients would have improved access to the program.
In House Bill 46, people with glaucoma, degenerative disc disease and honorably discharged veterans would also be among the individuals eligible for medical marijuana.
Lawmakers now face mounting pressure to move the House bill forward, as SB 3 is getting closer to being signed into law.
What People Are Saying
Lieutenant Governor Patrick wrote in a post on X on Monday: "The Senate and my concern has always been that we don't want to go back to the days of doctors writing prescriptions for anyone who paid them for a prescription for pain pills.
"The Texas Medical Board has put in strong guidelines to prevent that from happening over the last decade. Dr. Oliverson presented a new thoughtful plan that the Senate and I can support that will help those in true need of relief.
"I thank Dr. Oliverson for working with the Senate to find a truly amazing expansion of TCUP for those in need of help."
What Happens Next
House Bill 46 is continuing to progress through the legislative process, but is still a number of steps behind Senate Bill 3.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Nightclub Shooting in Ecuador Kills 8 As Violence Plagues Country
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A shooting at a nightclub in rural Ecuador resulted in the deaths of eight people, with three others injured, in the latest incident that authorities allege has broken out due to conflicts in the world of organized crime. Why it Matters Mass killings and high-profile violent incidents have plagued authorities and officials in Ecuador since 2023, when the country experienced unprecedented year of violence. A total of 8,008 homicides – a rate of 47 per 100,000 inhabitants - were recorded that year, a sharp increase from the previous rate of 6.7 per 100,000 inhabitants recorded in 2020, according to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). Ecuador's homicide rate now outpaces Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras, making it the highest in South America, the USCRI reported earlier this year. This wave of violence resulted in Executive Decree 111, which declared an "internal armed conflict" between 22 identified criminal groups operating in the country, which the country labeled "terrorists" in order to justify using military operations to try and neutralize the groups. El Salvador, once nicknamed the "murder capital of the world," similarly used its military in 2022 to apprehend thousands of people to drive down its crime rate. However, Ecuador has not seen the same success, and violence remains a rampant issue across the country. Military personnel patrols the streets during an operation against gangs and violence on February 9, 2024 in Los Rios, Ecuador. Military personnel patrols the streets during an operation against gangs and violence on February 9, 2024 in Los Rios, Ecuador. Carlos Arias/AgenciaWhat To Know Authorities said that heavily armed suspects arrived at the club in Santa Lucia, in Guayas province, on motorcycles and in two other vehicles before they opened fire, resulting in eight deaths and injuring at least three people. The victims in the most recent shooting were between 20 and 40 years old. Seven of the victims died at the club and an eighth died after being transported to a hospital. This adds to the dozens of deaths that have occurred in similar shootings over recent months, with most of the attacks occurring in four of the country's coastal provinces, all of which remain under a state of emergency: El Oro, Guayas, Manabí and Los Ríos. Officials have reported that over 4,600 people have died in violent crimes this year – down from 7,000 killings in 2024 and just over 8,000 in 2024. Authorities have not yet determined a motive, but they have speculated that it is linked to transnational drug cartels that have expanded their operations into the Pacific region. Authorities believe that rival criminal groups are vying for control of drug-trafficking routes in those regions. What Happens Next Investigations were ongoing into the nightclub shooting, and authorities had not announced arrests or identified responsible groups as of the latest reports. This article contains reporting by The Associated Press.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
Former AG says FBI can't return Texas lawmakers who fled state
Former Attorney General Eric Holder said Sunday that the FBI does not have jurisdiction to return Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled their state. 'Texas lawmakers are digging in. You heard Governor Abbott there talking about the FBI, Senator Cornyn calling the FBI to help locate those Democratic lawmakers who fled the state. I wonder, do you think that the FBI has jurisdiction to intervene here and try to bring back those Democrats who are in other states?' NBC News's Kristen Welker asked on 'Meet the Press.' 'Short answer, no. I mean, you're asking the FBI to get involved, to find these legislators who are in the process of trying to defend democracy in Texas,' Holder responded. 'And they're not hard to find, but the question after that is, 'Well, what's the federal jurisdiction? What federal statute has potentially been violated? What's the basis for any federal government interaction?' And I would say that there is none,' he added. Texas Democratic state House members last weekend left the Lone Star State amid a redistricting battle between themselves and Texas Republicans. The move resulted in outcry from members of the state's GOP, who have been trying to move ahead with a controversial redistricting plan that could cost Democrats seats in Congress. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel approved a request to assist state and local law enforcement find the absconded Texas Democrats. 'I am proud to announce that Director Kash Patel has approved my request for the FBI to assist state and local law enforcement in locating runaway Texas House Democrats,' Cornyn said in a statement Thursday morning. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also said Thursday that the FBI was 'tracking down' the Democratic lawmakers. 'Texas DPS and the FBI are tracking down the derelict Democrats. They will be taken directly to the Texas Capitol,' Abbott wrote on the social platform X.
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
His Party Reeling, a Democratic Senator Tries a Message of Hope in Iowa
Since outperforming his party in Arizona and winning a heavily contested Senate seat last year, Ruben Gallego has pushed national Democrats worried about their electoral futures to absorb his advice: Reach beyond the voters you're comfortable with and make inroads with the ones you've left behind. With Congress in its August recess and his calendar open, he has followed his own guidance, taking his message to Iowa, where members of his party have lost considerable ground. A Marine veteran who spent 10 years in the House before winning his Senate race, Mr. Gallego, a 45-year-old Democrat, outperformed his party's presidential ticket in Arizona last year among key groups that it struggled with, particularly Hispanic voters and men. To hear Mr. Gallego tell it, his trip was meant to spread the lessons of his victory with Iowa Democrats, who have watched their state shift from political battleground to Republican stronghold but are hoping to pick up seats in next year's midterm elections. As Mr. Gallego traveled over three days to party fund-raisers, the Iowa State Fair and a town hall, he frequently cited his own victory in Arizona, a state where the electoral outlook for Democrats recently looked similarly challenging. 'Don't be afraid, and go to where they are,' Mr. Gallego said on Saturday ahead of a town hall in Davenport, a city of about 100,000 in eastern Iowa. Then he stood in front of a favorable crowd of about 200 Democrats receptive to his attacks against the Trump administration and the bill to cut taxes and spending that Republicans passed this year. Mr. Gallego acknowledged at several points that in this setting he was preaching to the choir rather than converting swing voters. But at a time when Republicans have found town halls and other public appearances to be politically risky, his willingness to take his message on the road was an early indication of how Democrats, demoralized and deeply divided between progressives and centrists, are trying to energize their voters and beginning to test out messages that can work for them in the midterms and the 2028 presidential election. 'There's no governing coalition until we start winning here,' Mr. Gallego said in an interview. 'And we know how to do it, I know how to get the message to do it. So I'm here to, most of all, encourage the Democratic Party, because they feel a little down right now here.' Any trip by an out-of-state political figure to Iowa, which until 2020 was an early-nominating state for Democrats, raises the question of a presidential run. Mr. Gallego repeatedly, though coyly, dismissed such speculation. But his visit offered signs that he was exploring how his political message and playbook might translate elsewhere. With his party deeply divided about how to recover from the 2024 election, which put the White House and both chambers of Congress in Republican hands, Mr. Gallego has cited his success as a path forward. On issues, he pointed to his stance on border security, tougher than those of other Democrats. On tactics, he noted that his campaign had shied away from staid political events in favor of more creative ways to directly connect with working class voters. On Friday morning, Mr. Gallego met with workers on the early-morning shift at a pork processing plant in Marshalltown, a visit he referred to during other Iowa stops. There, the senator, who grew up poor and often talks about having taken a string of working-class jobs, toured the facility and spoke to workers in English and Spanish about their concerns, he said. 'A lot of the people that aren't voting for Democrats or who voted for Trump, they just feel we're not there,' Mr. Gallego said. And so, he said, 'What we did is we went to them.' And he spent hours at the Iowa State Fair, long a 445-acre field test for politicians to shake hands and introduce themselves to voters, pose for now-standard photo opportunities and explore the boundaries of their gastrointestinal fortitude. Wearing a Marines baseball cap, Mr. Gallego was guided by local Democrats and had little in the way of spontaneous interactions. Still, in front of the cameras, he took on some longstanding political traditions: eating a hard-boiled egg on a stick, posing for a photo near the famous Iowa butter cow and flipping pork burgers over a hot grill in sweltering 90-degree heat. Mr. Gallego's Iowa jaunt was not the only indication that he is trying to play a prominent role in national Democratic politics. In May, he spoke at an a town hall in a swing suburban county in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state. Later this month, he will attend events in New Hampshire, traditionally another state where presidential hopefuls road-test their campaign strategies. But his visit to the Midwest offered a taste of the headwinds that he and other Democrats might face in the midterm elections and beyond as they continue to debate profound questions about their political future. Though the people Mr. Gallego spoke to at the state fair and his town hall shared his desire to rebuild the Democratic coalition, the divisions within the party were at times on clear display. While decrying intense partisanship, some at the town hall called for a return to comity, while others encouraged Democrats to engage in more aggressive tactics. Ahead of Mr. Gallego's visit, the Institute for Middle East Understanding, a Palestinian advocacy group, made a small ad purchase criticizing him for missing a vote in which a majority of Senate Democrats voted to block the sale of some U.S. weapons to Israel. The conflict in Gaza has ripped open a rift within the Democratic Party that often maps along a generational divide. At Mr. Gallego's town hall, Taelor Denton, 31, one of the few younger voters in attendance, questioned him about that vote, saying it was 'hard for me to feel any kind of confidence' that Democrats cared about younger voters while ignoring their views on Gaza. Mr. Gallego, whose third child is 7 weeks old, said he missed the vote to be on paternity leave. But he said his position on the issue was still evolving, particularly in light of Israel's recent decision to expand its military campaign to take control of Gaza City. Afterward, Ms. Denton expressed disappointment, saying Mr. Gallego's answer proved that Democrats had considerable work to do to win back younger voters. 'We've just been severely disillusioned by the Democratic Party as a whole,' she said. 'I really have lost so much faith in it.' Though immigration has become a signature area in which Mr. Gallego has differentiated himself from his fellow Democrats, the issue scarcely came up at his town hall, which focused more on Republicans' cuts to Medicaid and other social safety-net programs. And the Iowa Democratic Party's materials at the State Fair suggested a willingness to retreat to safer ground, with signs focused on abortion, education and agriculture. Still, Mr. Gallego insisted his party could not ignore the issue. 'We should not only make sure you talk about it, you should talk about it like in an affirmative manner,' he said. As white, rural voters have shifted to Republicans in the Trump era, Democrats have been shut out of the Iowa governor's mansion since 2010, last won a Senate seat in the state in 2008 and lost all four House seats in the last two elections. But the decision by the national Democratic Party to demote the Iowa caucuses from their first-in-line position has fueled Republican arguments that their opponents don't value voters in the state. After the 2020 caucuses, which were plagued by organizational and technical issues on the part of Democrats, Mr. Gallego sent a profane social media post insulting Iowa and backing a calendar change. As he traveled across the fairgrounds on Friday, he was repeatedly heckled over that position by a small group aligned with Turning Point Action, an influential conservative group. 'Out of touch Democrat Ruben Gallego isn't here to fight for Iowans, he's fighting for his own political ambitions,' Emily Tuttle, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement. 'From mocking Iowa values to pushing policies that would destroy Iowa's economy, it's clear he doesn't understand or care about what matters to Iowans.' Mr. Gallego told reporters he regretted his comments. 'I'm a mature adult now,' he said. 'And what I said was, you know, dumb of me.' Mr. Gallego was not the first national politician to arrive this year. The Biden administration's transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, who won the Iowa caucuses among Democrats in 2020, swung by the state in May. Several Republicans have also taken part in political events in the state recently, including Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Rick Scott of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Governors Glenn Younkin of Virginia and Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas.
