The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill to allow medical marijuana as an opioid alternative for people with chronic pain and also replace the state’s THC limit, sending the legislation to the Senate for consideration.
The full chamber passed the measure from Rep. Stephanie Klick (R) in a 127-19 vote on third reading on Wednesday, one day after giving it initial approval on the floor.
This latest vote also comes weeks after a separate House panel unanimously approved a bill to decriminalize cannabis possession in the state while providing a pathway for records expungement.
The medical marijuana expansion legislation, which moved through the House Public Health Committee last month, would replace the one percent THC cap for cannabis oil from with a volumetric dose of 10 milligrams.
It would also expand eligibility for low-THC marijuana products by granting legal access to patients with “a condition that causes chronic pain, for which a physician would otherwise prescribe an opioid.”
Importantly, the bill further stipulates that regulators at the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) could approve, through rulemaking, additional debilitating medical conditions to qualify patients for the cannabis program. If enacted, the bill would take effect starting on September 1, 2023.
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