FORT WORTH, Texas — Despite testimony from advocates about the positive effects of cannabis as medicine and bipartisan support in the House, a proposal to expand Texas’ medical marijuana program appears to have met its end this legislative session.
The bill authored by Republican Stephanie Klick would have extended Texas’ Compassionate Use Program to patients with chronic pain in cases who would have otherwise been prescribed opioids. Currently, under the medical marijuana program, doctors can prescribe low-THC cannabis to treat a limited number of medical conditions, including epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorders.
In recent sessions, the program has been expanded to fold in more medical conditions, with Klick emphasizing the need to follow the scientific data as its scope widens.
