Courtesy Photo / Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation
A worker at one of Texas' approved cannabis suppliers harvests buds at a grow operation.
Last month, the House's Public Health Subcommittee unanimously approved the proposal, clearing a spot for discussion by the full body.
Authored by State Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, HB 1805 would permit physicians to prescribe medical marijuana to patients suffering from chronic pain for which they would otherwise be given opioids. Advocates have long asked for the state's limited medical cannabis program to be expanded to include chronic pain.
It also would eliminate the 1% cap on the amount of THC allowed in medical marijuana available through the state's program. Under the bill, the amount of permissible THC — the compound in pot that leads to a high — would rise to a volumetric dose of 10 milligrams.
Patients and cannabis advocates say the existing state cap is arbitrary and drives up prices for patients who needed larger doses. They also maintain that it's a deterrent to some patients who feel they could get better relief on the black market.
Klick's bill also lays the groundwork for Texas' medical cannabis program to be more easily expanded to cover other conditions. The legislation would set up a process by which the Department of State Health Services could decide other groups of patients qualify rather than having to wait every two years for legislative approval.
The bill is one of several in the legislature this session that would ease restrictions on cannabis in the state. While the prognosis for some of those is good in the House, they're likely to face headwinds in the Texas Senate, where Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has long worked to stymie reform efforts.
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