Texans Suffering with PTSD Will Soon Have Access to Medical Marijuana
This is huge step in the process of legalizing marijuana in Texas. But according to marijuana advocates, there's still a long road ahead to full legalization and Texas still has one of the most restricted positions in the nation regarding marijuana.
However, for Texans suffering with PTSD or other severe medical situations, they will soon have access to the fledgling Compassionate Use Program.
The program technically began back in 2015 which gave only those suffering with intractable epilepsy with access to marijuana. And even in those rare cases, the product itself could only contain .5% THC or less.
And then in 2019, KSAT reports "lawmakers expanded the program to include Texans who live with a number of other incurable neurodegenerative diseases, along with epilepsy, seizure disorders, autism and terminal cancer." The dosage cap of .5% remained.
This new development means that those suffering from "cancer, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and chronic pain as eligible diagnoses" for access. And those in support of the bill wanted to raise the dosage cap on THC to 5%.
Once House Bill 1535 left the House, it sat for a few weeks once it reached the Senate before it was ever even assigned to a committee for discussion. Many marijuana advocates worried it would meet its end.
Finally, it went to committee, but the dosage cap in the bill was lowered to 1% THC--but it was passed. The House then signed off on the changes.
Although Heather Fazio, director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, was disappointed by the "watering down" of the bill, she's glad we've taken this major step.
What about you? Do think marijuana should be fully legal in Texas? Why or why not?