Texas Legislature Passes Medical Marijuana Program Expansion Bill

Forbes

02-06-2025

Texas lawmakers have approved legislation to significantly expand the state's medical marijuana ... More program, sending the bill to Gov. Greg Abbot for his consideration.
Texas lawmakers on Sunday approved legislation to significantly expand the state's medical marijuana program. After a conference committee reached a deal over the weekend, lawmakers passed a compromise bill that rectified differences in legislation passed last month by the Texas Senate and the state House of Representatives.
The House passed the compromise medical cannabis program expansion bill by a vote of 138-1, while the Senate approved the measure with a unanimous 31-0 vote, according to a report from online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment. The legislation now heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for consideration.
The bill expands the list of conditions that qualify a patient to use medical marijuana, adding chronic pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Crohn's disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases. End-of-life patients in palliative or hospice care would qualify patients for the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), as the current state medical cannabis program is known.
The legislation also increases the types of cannabis products authorized by the TCUP, adding medical marijuana patches and topicals, as well as suppositories, approved inhalers, nebulizers and vaping devices. The bill also directs the state Department of Public Safety to increase the number of medical cannabis business licenses from three to 15. Licensed providers would also be allowed to operate approved satellite locations.
The House version of the bill, HB 46, was approved by the chamber on May 13. The Senate passed an amended version on May 27, but House lawmakers declined to concur to the changes. A conference committee to iron out the differences agreed on the final compromise version over the weekend, leading to the House and Senate votes on Sunday.
Republican Rep. Tony Tinderholt, who served on the conference committee, told his colleagues in the House that the legislation strengthens and expands the state's medical cannabis program.
'The veterans out there watching need to know that the Texas Compassionate Use Program has been protected,' Tinderholt said, KXAN television news reported.
'We actually got a little more than what we thought we'd get out of that conference committee,' he added. 'Veterans are covered, chronic pain is covered, and this bill will cover all of the things that we wanted when it went over to the Senate and there were modifications made.'
The passage of the compromise medical marijuana program expansion bill was welcomed by cannabis policy reform advocates, including members of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center.
'For 10 years, most patients have been excluded from participating in the Compassionate Use Program,' Heather Fazio, executive director of the group, told Marijuana Moment. 'We're happy to see that the legislature is finally expanding the program in a meaningful way.'
The Texas legislature's approval of the medical marijuana program expansion bill came only days after lawmakers passed legislation (SB 3) to ban consumable hemp products with any amount of THC. These products, which have less than 0.3% THC under federal law, retain other potentially beneficial cannabis compounds. Peter Barsoom, founder and CEO of 1906, a manufacturer of low-dose, fast-acting cannabis edibles, said that Texas lacks a consistent cannabis policy.
'Texas is sending a mixed message - on one hand, it's recognizing the medical benefits of cannabis by expanding access, and on the other, it's banning products that many rely on for relief,' Barsoom writes in an emailed statement. 'This type of inconsistency not only confuses consumers but also undermines trust in the system. We know prohibition is a policy failure. What we need is sensible regulation that provides consumers access to safe, legal, and effective hemp-derived products, especially for veterans, people living with chronic pain, and everyday consumers looking for alternatives to pharmaceuticals.'
Both measures now head to Abbott for consideration. The Texas Hemp Business Council and its members and supporters are calling on the governor to veto SB 3.