On April 29th 2021 the Texas Tribune tells us how the Texas House is passing a bill to expand the use of medical cannabis for those with PTSD, chronic pain, and even in cancer patients to regain their appetite. The House Bill 1535 by Rep. Stephanie Klick of Fort Worth was introduced in 2015 for CBD legalization. Her main focus is taking away opioids from patients and giving them something more natural. She is now pushing to authorize THC to be apart of the medical purposes of cannabis and giving the Department of State Health Services the opportunity to add additional qualifying conditions through administrative rule making. This should be an easier route for those who need access to the drug now verses waiting for legislation to grant approval. However, the Senate must pass the bill before it can be turned into a law. All of this information can me found on “The Texas Tribune”
Klick is one of many lawmakers in favor of medical cannabis use. While she is covering the need for doctors to have more say in the dosages for their patients and the amounts that should be distributed per case, there is also a need for lawmakers to look into the penalties that have been charged for prior convictions of carrying the substance. Heather Fazio, Director of Texans for Marijuana policy, says the increased THC limit is a step in the right direction. The House has passed bill 2593 on April 27th, 2021 to drop some penalties for marijuana concentrate. This lowers the penalty for possession of up to 2 ounces of THC to a class b misdemeanor. One ounce or less is equal to a $500 fine.
Texas by far has the most restrictive laws in the nation when it comes to the legalization of cannabis. It remains 1 out of 13 states that have full restriction on the cannabis product. 17 states have legalized cannabis for medical use while 37 others have legalized for recreational purposes. More recently, New York and Virginia have legalized THC (another form of cannabis that causes a euphoric high) for recreational purposes. As of now, there are only 3500 Texans registered for medical cannabis use. A shocking number in comparison to the 2 million people that are eligible to register.
Cannabis users also have a legal alternative to THC related products, its called CBD. The acronym stands for Cannabidiol which is the second most active ingredient of cannabis. CBD is also the essential component of medicinal marijuana. The strand comes from a hemp plant and provides a number of health benefits without impairing its users . If THC becomes legal, there is a lot of revenue available to fund projects like infrastructure, education, and public assistance for families. This is also a gain for CBD store owners to make new clients aware of the benefits while maintaining current clients . Outside of store owners, can you just imagine the other job openings and financial flow that will land in Texas?” In my personal opinion I feel the amount of independent business will rise. This will be tenfold the number of businesses” Salazar states on “The Report” for San Antonio. At this point the majority of legislators in favor of the legalization of marijuana for taxes alone. The launch of this business in the state can give them a tax break from the issues in 2020 with loss of sales and the Cares Act funding that went out to those in need. In conclusion, there is a higher vote in the senate from 49% in 2014 to 60% this year in 2021. This doesn’t mean we are all in favor and there will be along road ahead before legalization is completed.
