Latest news with #Oliverson
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Texas Expanding Legal Cannabis Access Before Wider Ban
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. 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.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ban on THC products in Texas heads to Gov. Abbott's desk after Senate agrees to House changes
A bill that would ban all products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk after the Senate late Sunday approved the House version of the bill advanced by the lower chamber last week. If the measure avoids Abbott's veto pen, Texas' $8 billion hemp industry and its estimated 50,000 jobs would be dissolved in September, when the ban would take effect. Retailers and recreational users would be allowed to sell and consume only the non-intoxicating, non-psychoactive cannabinoids known as CBD and CBG. The about-face comes six years after the Legislature inadvertently touched off a massive boom in hemp-based products when lawmakers, intending to boost Texas agriculture, authorized the sale of consumable hemp. Though that 2019 law does not allow products to contain more than trace amounts of delta-9 THC, it did not establish that same threshold for other hemp derivatives. Critics say the hemp industry has exploited that loophole to the tune of more than 8,000 retailers now selling THC-laced edibles, drinks, vapes and flower buds. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who oversees the Senate, has spearheaded the push to eradicate the industry since he named it one of his top priorities nearly six months ago. Hemp industry leaders and advocates have flooded Abbott with calls to veto the ban, known as Senate Bill 3, since the House approved it Thursday. The governor has declined to weigh in on the issue this session, deferring to lawmakers to decide on their preferred approach. Last week, an Abbott spokesperson declined to reveal the governor's plans for signing the THC bill, saying only that he 'will thoughtfully review any legislation sent to his desk.' In the House, proponents of the THC ban centered their pitch around the idea that Texas would expand its limited medical marijuana program, known as the Texas Compassionate Use Program, or TCUP. In separate legislation, House lawmakers have proposed adding several qualifying conditions to participate in the program, including chronic pain — a key selling point from House Republicans championing the THC ban. That provision was later stripped from a new Senate draft of the bill unveiled days after the House's THC vote, prompting Rep. Tom Oliverson, the Cypress Republican who led the charge to restore the THC ban in the House, to voice his displeasure on social media Saturday. Patrick shot back, saying he had told Oliverson personally that the Senate would not add chronic pain as a qualifying condition, well before Oliverson later told House members he would fight for its inclusion. On Sunday, shortly before the Senate sent the THC ban to Abbott's desk, Oliverson and Patrick announced they had struck a deal to include chronic pain in the medical marijuana expansion bill. The measure would also quadruple the number of licensed medical marijuana dispensers and let providers operate satellite storage facilities designed to make it easier for patients to fill their prescriptions. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is THC in Texas going up in smoke? House OKs ban, averting showdown with Senate
The Texas House on Wednesday evening, after delays that covered the better part of two days, embraced a ban on the sale and consumption of intoxicating hemp products, avoiding a potential clash with the Senate in the final days of the legislative session. "We are not banning hemp, we are banning high," said state Rep. Tom Oliverson, a Houston-area Republican lawmaker and physician who essentially rewrote the House's version of Senate Bill 3 on the fly. "What we're doing here is correcting a problem that was created in 2019 where we essentially created a pathway whereby people could sell drugs in corner stores across our state," Oliverson said. The Texas Legislature in 2019, hoping to boost agriculture, established the Texas Industrial Hemp Program and authorized the production, manufacture and sale of industrial hemp crops and products, including those with low levels of THC. The bill opened a market for consumable hemp products with up to 0.3% THC. The Senate, at the urging of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, passed a sweeping ban in March as a way to stop the proliferation of "consumable hemp products and the hemp-derived cannabinoids" contained in snack foods, candies, beverages and smokeable products. Patrick, the three-term Republican who leads the Senate, made the bill a top priority for the 2025 legislative session and hinted at extending lawmakers' time in Austin if it wasn't passed before the June 2 adjournment. And that might have come to pass under the original House version of the bill, which took a regulatory approach over an outright ban. That is what came out of the chamber's State Affairs Committee in a rewrite spearheaded by its chairman, Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian. But once the bill was set for a floor debate Tuesday, Oliverson began circulating an amendment to bring it in line with the goals laid out by Patrick and the Senate. That prompted some behind-the-scenes legislative maneuvering, reportedly including seeking Senate concessions on a separate school-funding bill which was stalled in exchange for the House's willingness to bend on hemp. But King's approach was not without support, both in the House and among veterans. Dave Walden, the incoming state commander of Texas Veterans of Foreign War, wrote in an op-ed that he and many of his fellow former service members who have served in combat have found that the hemp products targeted by the legislation have proven to be life-savers. More: What's the status of marijuana in Texas? An explainer on THC, CBD, Delta-8 and more "Lt. Governor Patrick has called these products 'poison,' but for many veterans, they've been the antidote to a system that was slowly poisoning us with endless prescriptions," wrote Walden, who was deployed to Iraq and other areas of conflict between 2001 and 2012. "When I hear rhetoric comparing hemp to 'bath salts' or other dangerous street drugs, I cannot reconcile it with my experience or that of my fellow veterans who have found healing through these products," Walden wrote. Oliverson, an anesthesiologist, said that under his measure, veterans would still have access to approved medications containing THC, the primary psychoactive component in the cannabis plant. "People are currently self-medicating by getting this THC that is potentially not very well-regulated," he said. "What I'm getting to is ... you have to have a medical professional that's overseeing this program and regulating at what point how many milligrams is the right milligrams for each individual. "I'm sure this won't shock anybody in the room, but there are no miracle cures out there." King voted against Oliverson's amendment, likening a ban on THC to the ill-fated prohibition of alcohol a century ago. He ultimately voted for the final bill even after the amendment was added to it by a lopsided House vote. The final vote advancing the bill was 95-34. State Rep. Gene Wu, a Houston Democrat who leads his party's House caucus, said the amended bill goes too far and might do more harm than good for veterans and others. "The overwhelming majority of veterans are aggressively supporting legalization, supporting keeping the law in a regulated state," Wu said. "Texans as a whole do not want something that they've had access to for the last five years (to be banned). Something that they have enjoyed recreationally, and that has helped them medically. "They have told you that loudly and repeatedly. They have called your offices; they have written letters. They have done everything they could," Wu said. More: As Texas weighs banning consumable hemp containing THC, Austin shop sees 'stock buying' Republican Rep. David Lowe of North Richland Hills said that as an Amy military police officer who was deployed to Afghanistan he supports the measure as amended by Oliverson. "Let me be clear, there are benefits to hemp products for some individuals," Lowe said. "But as someone who has lived through the darkness onward and its aftermath, I say sincerely, stop using veterans like me as a vehicle to push your unregulated influence. There's a difference between compassion and exploitation." Democratic Rep. Rafael Anchia of Dallas warned that a THC ban would only push consumers of the now-legal products to underground sources. "You're going to be driving people into the black market," Anchia said. "You're going to criminalize veterans. You're going to be criminalizing young people. ... You're going to be criminalizing your neighbor." On Monday night, just hours before the House originally was set to vote, Patrick posted an 8-minute video on social media aimed at grassroots Republicans to put pressure on members to add teeth to the lower chamber's version of the bill. "We must ban THC," Patrick said in the video posted to X. "We can't regulate it. We don't have enough police to check every store when there are 8-9,000 of them. 'I've been here for 17 years at the Texas Capitol, 10 years as your lieutenant governor and I've never been more passionate about anything. I'm not going to leave Austin until we get this done.' Because the House's version, even as amended, differs from what the Senate passed, SB 3 must return to the upper chamber to consider the changes. The Senate can either accept what the House sends or request a conference committee to reconcile the differences. Staff writer Bayliss Wagner contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas House OKs THC ban, sidestepping potential clash with Senate
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas House signals it will ban THC products, exceptions for Compassionate Use Program
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas House of Representatives voted to preliminarily approve a bill that will fully ban any consumable hemp products that contain THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that gives its consumer a high. The members of the House had to address whether or not the state would remove products with THC or heavily regulate them, making sure they are not packaged in a way to entice children. State Rep. Ken King, R- Canadian, laid out his bill Wednesday night which would have banned synthetic THC, like Delta 8, and edibles and snacks that contain THC. However, it would legalize drinks with less than 0.3% THC, which is the federal limit, but would require strict testing to make sure manufacturers are not going over that limit. The bill would also not allow stores that sell these products to be near schools, a concern for Republicans like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has called for the complete ban of THC products. State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R- Cypress, offered an amendment do just that. Oliverson said his bill is not banning hemp, which can be used for agricultural purposes, but is actually 'banning high.' Some members who are veterans raised questions about the veteran population that uses THC products to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Currently the state has the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), which gives some people access to low-THC products to treat certain conditions, but there are complaints it is not expansive enough. Oliverson's amendment would not impact the products used in the TCUP. King passed a bill to expand TCUP, HB 46, but doubts were raised on the House floor that it may not be approved in the Senate. As debate and questions were thrown on the House floor about TCUP, Lt. Gov. Patrick posted on social media, 'I am in full support of expanding the TCUP. We will expand licenses and have satellite locations for the first time for prescribed products from doctors for our veterans and those in need.' The House ended up going with Oliverson's version of the bill in an 83-56 vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Attempt to decriminalize fentanyl testing strips in Texas could stall in the Senate for a third time
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Fentanyl test strips are among the cheapest and easiest ways to prevent overdoses, but multiple attempts to legalize them — even with Gov. Greg Abbott's support in the past — have failed in the Senate. This year, legislation to legalize these test strips faces similar challenges. 'I think that there's a different stream of thought that feels like if you give an inch, you give a mile, and that any sort of lessening of prohibition stance is sort of giving up and giving over to drug use,' said Katharine Neill Harris, a drug policy fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. House Bill 1644, by state Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, would remove testing strips for fentanyl and xylazine, a veterinary sedative also known as 'tranq,' from the list of banned drug paraphernalia. This bill passed unanimously in the House last month and is now pending in the Senate. Fentanyl, a potent drug commonly mixed with other substances and has caused the deaths of more than 7,000 Texans in the last six years, is odorless and tasteless, making detection nearly impossible without specialized equipment. This is why Oliverson called fentanyl testing strips a 'mine detector' for a person trying to walk across a minefield. A package of fentanyl strips. One line indicates fentanyl is present, and two lines indicate a negative result. Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune The cost of fentanyl test strips can range from $10 to $30 for a box of 30. To use the strips, testers dissolve a small amount of a drug in water and then dip the strip into it. One line indicates fentanyl is present, and two lines indicate a negative result. This is the second legislative session in a row that Oliverson has tried to get his bill passed. Both times, his legislation didn't get a committee hearing in the Senate. With less than four weeks left in the legislative session, his bill this session hasn't yet been considered in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. Oliverson, in his speech from the House floor, suggested that Senate lawmakers fear that legalizing the strips would mean that people would start 'using drugs to their heart's content safely.' 'I want every person in Texas who is struggling with addiction to get the help they need. But I can't fix that if they are dead,' Oliverson told lawmakers last month when his bill passed. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who oversees the Senate, did not return a request for comment nor did the criminal justice committee chair, Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton. Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, credited by drug policy advocates last legislative session for blocking fentanyl testing strips from a hearing, didn't comment on whether she supports legalization. 'The structural nature of the Senate, where the lieutenant governor has the power to decide whether a bill gets a hearing or not, can be quite a big hurdle,' Harris said. Travis County Judge Andy Brown said the delay in legalizing fentanyl testing strips is only costing lives with each passing year. 'Our fight against the number one cause of accidental death in Travis County is hampered by the fact that we haven't legalized fentanyl test strips in Texas,' Brown said. Advantages of fentanyl strips Early last year, a rash of over 70 overdoses rocked Travis County in a span of three days, killing more than nine people. However, more deaths could have occurred if the county and the state hadn't made efforts to get overdose reversal drugs like Narcan and naloxone to the general public last legislative session. To combat the growing number of fentanyl overdose deaths in Texas, state lawmakers in 2023 launched a $10 million fentanyl awareness campaign and plan to distribute doses of Narcan to every county in the state. 'I also get the sense that publicity campaigns that we have done and that the state has done have helped get the education out there, too,' Brown said. Brown said Travis County, despite the harrowing encounter last year, saw a decline in fentanyl related deaths, dropping by 36%, from 279 in 2023 to 179 in 2024. A Texas Harm Reduction Alliance drop-in center in South Austin on May 5, 2025. Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune During this same period, deaths from fentanyl overdose statewide dropped 14%, to 5,070 in 2024. 'We don't know yet if this is a long-term decline. Certainly, it's an encouraging development that we hope to see continue,' Harris said, pointing out that 87,000 deaths are still a lot. A dip doesn't mean a complete decline as the drug market is unpredictable. This is why drug policy advocates and others are clamoring for the legalization of drug testing strips, which are cheaper to stock than Narcan and can keep someone from using fentanyl in the first place. In December 2022, Abbott announced his support for fentanyl testing strips as he believed the opioid crisis had gone too far. Attempts to contact Abbott to see if he still supports testing strips were not returned. Abbott did not respond to a request for comment on whether he still supports legalization. 'I think we would reduce the number of deaths that we're seeing in the state of Texas if we just made test strips legal,' Brown said. Uncertain future Maggie Luna, executive director of the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, an Austin-based nonprofit that does outreach and operates a drop-in center for people who might need Narcan, condoms, bandages, and more, has seen firsthand the demand for fentanyl testing strips. Their organization can't legally buy testing strips but accepts tests donated to them from other states. 'People are always asking for fentanyl testing strips and xylazine test strips,' Luna said. The Texas Harm Reduction Center distributes Narcan and other supplies to clients. Credit: Leila Saidane for The Texas Tribune The Texas Harm Reduction Alliance has been on the front-lines of this fight against drug-related deaths, reversing more than 300 overdoses in 2024 alone with Narcan, Luna said. If fentanyl use continues, Luna is concerned about it worsening because of federal funding cuts to substance abuse programs, Texas lawmakers' attempt to ban intoxicating substances like hemp and kratom, and the economic downturn, which notoriously leads to spikes in drug usage. 'We are going to start seeing people seeking drugs at the same time we are clawing back the money that we have for tools to keep people alive,' Luna said. 'We are heading to a period of death.' Luna said legalizing test strips allows organizations like hers, which face an uncertain future, a cheap option to save lives. 'Every overdose can be reversed if we are applying the right education and giving out the correct tools,' Luna said. Disclosure: Rice University and Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Texans seeking help for substance use can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's free help line at 800-662-4357. They can also access services in their region through the Texas Health and Human Services website. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
