Latest news with #TexasCompassionateUseProgram
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Texas Legislature Passes Medical Marijuana Program Expansion Bill
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.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers pass medical marijuana bill that includes chronic pain
A bill expanding Texas' medical marijuana program is headed to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. The latest version was negotiated by members of the Texas House and Senate, including several lawmakers representing parts of Tarrant County. A compromise version of House Bill 46 advanced on Sunday, June 1, as negotiated in a conference committee made up of lawmakers from both chambers. It includes a number of recommendations from supporters of medical marijuana on how to improve the program, called the Texas Compassionate Use Program. The bill's measures include: Permitting satellite locations where dispensing organizations can securely store medical marijuana for distribution. Currently the products can only be stored overnight at an organization's main location, creating distribution challenges. Requires the state to have 15 dispensing organizations. At least three are required now, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Allows inhaling medical marijuana as an aerosol or vapor. Smoking is still not allowed. It also expands qualifying medical conditions to include: A condition that causes chronic pain. A traumatic brain injury. A terminal illness or condition that requires hospice or palliative care. The version that passed out of the House in May also included glaucoma, degenerative disc disease and spinal neuropathy, and included language specifically folding veterans into the program. The bill defines chronic pain as 'pain that is not relieved with acute, post-surgical, post-procedure or persistent non-chronic pain treatment and is associated with a chronic pathological process that causes continuous or intermittent severe pain for more than 90 days and for which a tetrahydrocannabinol is a viable method of treatment.' The Senate's version had included language that would have required patients to be on an opioid for 90 days before qualifying for the medical marijuana program. That requirement wasn't acceptable to the House, said Rep. Ken King, a Republican from Canadian who authored the bill. 'While we were not able to find agreement on degenerative disc disease, glucoma, spinal neuropathy and veterans, we believe with the new definitions of chronic pain, most of these patients will be covered,' King said. Tony Tinderholt, an Arlington Republican, who was a member of the conference committee, maintained that veterans are covered under the bill. 'The veterans out there watching need to know that the Texas Compassionate Use Program has been protected,' Tinderholt said. The expansion comes as Texas is positioned to ban consumable TCH products, like the delta-8 and delta-a gummies, vapes and drinks that can be found at stores and gas stations across Texas. The ban was a top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who on May 28 held a news conference blasting the THC products. Members of the hemp business community have called for new regulations, like age restrictions, and better enforcement of existing regulations, rather than a ban of the products. The Texas Hemp Business Council has called on Abbott to veto the legislation.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Medical cannabis expansion bill adds chronic pain patients, advances to Governor
AUSTIN (Nexstar) – With time running out in the legislative session, lawmakers reached a deal to expand the state's medical marijuana program. Sunday evening, both the House and Senate approved a conference committee agreement on House Bill 46, relating to the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP). The legislation calls for expanding the number of licensed cannabis providers in the TCUP from three to 15. It also allows patients with chronic pain and patients with traumatic brain injuries to take part in the program. The issue of how to define chronic pain for TCUP eligibility was a point of difference between the House and Senate. Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, who authored HB 46 spoke about the differences Sunday as he laid out the conference committee report. 'The Senate had defined chronic pain as a pain that continues for more than 90 days after a prescription of an opioid. This was not acceptable, so the conference committee agreed that to define chronic pain as persistent, severe pain that lasts more than 90 days for which THC is a viable method of treatment,' King said. King said that veterans are not specifically listed as eligible for the program. Similarly, he said that lawmakers were not able to reach agreement on conditions like glaucoma, degenerative disc disease, and spinal neuropathy. However, King said the definition of chronic pain would cover most of those patients. TCUP launched in 2015 for epileptic children and has since slowly grown to include more people, including those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. It provides low-THC cannabis to patients with a proper prescription from a physician. There are currently three licensed dispensing organizations that cultivate and deliver the products to patients. Nico Richardson is the CEO of Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation, one of the dispensing organizations based in south Austin. Richardson says one of the main issues for the TCUP is accessibility. He says when a patient makes an order they will either have to drive to the main facility of the organization, meet the organization at a pick-up location, or have the product delivered to their house. The size of Texas creates a long waiting period for the patients, Richardson explained. Expanding the number of providers seeks to serve patients in a more effective and timely manner. The push to expand TCUP gained attention in recent weeks as separate legislation advanced to ban over-the-counter products containing hemp-based THC. THC is the compound in cannabis that causes a high feeling. Legislation passed by both the House and Senate would ban THC products, like vapes, snacks, and drinks currently sold in stores around the state. Some critics of the ban raised concern about people who use the products to treat pain. State Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, a Democrat from Houston, raised concerns earlier this month during debate on the House floor for the veteran community. 'You're taking away potentially their freedom to choose this product that in their own words saved their lives,' Morales Shaw said from the back microphone. State Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, who wrote the amendment that changed the bill from a regulation on THC to a complete ban, sympathized with those concerns but argued the proper help for veterans would need to come from the state's regulated TCUP. 'I don't ever want somebody to be denied access to a medication that may be a benefit,' Oliverson said. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick voiced support for the THC ban, but also called for expanding TCUP, saying those who need THC for medical use would get it in a controlled way. 'It will be the largest medical cannabis program, regulated medical cannabis program in the country, and probably the most well-designed,' State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock said. Both the THC ban and the TCUP expansion are now on the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott. He has until June 22 to decide whether to sign the legislation, veto, or let it go into effect without his signature. Supporters of the TCUP expansion are optimistic the legislation will become law. 'The veterans out there watching need to know that the Texas Compassionate Use Program has been protected,' Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, said while speaking in the chamber. He was one of the House members on the conference committee. 'We actually got a little more than what we thought we'd get out of that conference committee,' Tinderholt said. '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.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Legislature OKs expansion of medical marijuana program as THC ban heads to Abbott
After days of contentious back-and-forth between the two Texas legislative chambers, the Senate late Tuesday night approved an expansion to the state's medical marijuana program. House Bill 46, by Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, will expand the Texas Compassionate Use Program fourfold, upping the number of available dispensary licenses from the current three to 12 statewide. It passed the Senate unanimously after the House and Senate struck a deal to include chronic pain, terminal disease and hospice care as qualifying conditions for a cannabis prescription. The expanded medical program also adds aerosol cannabis products like vapes, along with patches and lotions. More: As Texas weighs banning consumable hemp containing THC, Austin shop sees 'stock buying' The deal marks a détente between the House and Senate on the subject as a sweeping ban on THC products is on its way to the governor's desk. The Senate had stripped House provisions for chronic pain as a qualifying condition for the Compassionate Use Program, drawing fierce blowback from House members who later pushed for the condition to be reinstated. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the Senate want to ban intoxicating hemp products — which have been legal in Texas since 2019 — through Senate Bill 3, which was passed by both chambers in recent weeks. The House's version of the proposal instead called for increased regulation of THC product sales, but the upper chamber's version of the bill won the day. It's not yet clear if Gov. Greg Abbott plans to sign the bill. In a news conference Wednesday, during which Patrick displayed an array of THC products and sharply criticized members of the media for coverage of the THC ban and resulting inter-chamber conflict, the bill's author praised the TCUP expansion, which he said will still serve those who use THC medicinally while curbing dangerous hemp products. 'We promised on the front end, when we get rid of the bad stuff, we'll find a way to thread the needle for those that have found benefit,' said Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. 'I think it's the relief we promised. … We're expanding the things that we believe are legitimate needs that can be met through a responsible delivery system.' This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Legislature OKs expansion of medical marijuana program, THC ban
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.
