Texas Expands Medical Cannabis Access
In March 2023, Texas lawmakers approved of House Bill 1085.
This latest bill would add individuals suffering from chronic pain to the list of qualifying medical cannabis patients under the state’s current existing medical cannabis program (1).
Texas’s new legislation specifically adds chronic pain patients who were often prescribed opioids to treat their condition, to the list of patients with medical conditions who are able to obtain medical cannabis through the Texas Compassionate Use Program (2). This program allows doctors to prescribe low-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabis products to qualifying patients, such as those suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, and more.
The Marijuana Herald’s Anthony Martinelli (3), reported that the Calendar Committee will now be scheduling HB 1805 for consideration by the full Texas House of Representatives. A companion senate bill has also been assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill was authored by Rep. Stephanie Klick (R) who is also the chair of the House Public Health Committee.
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Medical Cannabis Campaigning with Americans for Safe Access
September 4th 2024As discussions about the federal scheduling of cannabis continue, efforts by medical cannabis advocates are intensifying. One such advocate is Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a nonprofit organization founded by patients for patients. Since 2002, ASA has been championing the rights of medical cannabis patients and has recently launched new campaigns and strategies to refocus attention on patient needs. In this interview, Steph Sherer, founder and president of ASA, reflects on past successes in medical cannabis advocacy, shares her perspective on recent cannabis and hemp policymaking, and outlines the next steps for advancing a unified medical cannabis message on Capitol Hill—a message that could bring about the changes patients have long awaited.
