The Texas Legislature is expected to send House Bill 46 to Governor Greg Abbott, who plans to sign it into law.
Although the proposal will retain Texas’ status as having one of the strictest medical cannabis laws in the nation, the legislation marks the most substantial expansion of the state’s compassionate use program since its inception in 2015.
The measure expands the list of qualifying conditions to include chronic pain, hospice care, and terminal illness. The House of Representatives approved also adding degenerative disc disease, traumatic brain injury and Crohn’s disease, but the Senate removed those conditions before approving it and sending it back to the House, which concurred with the changes rather than setup a standoff.
Under current law, qualifying conditions include epilepsy, seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis (MS), spasticity, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), autism, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and incurable neurodegenerative diseases.
House Bill 46 would also quadruple the the number of licensed dispensing organizations participating in the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) from three to 12. It would also allow for the establishment of satellite locations that can store product overnight, with an expedited 90-day approval window intended to improve patient access across the state.
To improve equity in access, the bill instructs the Department of Public Safety to ensure licenses are spread across different geographic regions, minimizing travel times for patients. It also introduces new product formats, including a metered-dose inhalation device, giving patients more options for how they medicate.
Once Governor Abbott signs the bill, the changes will represent a major step forward for medical marijuana access in Texas. Before the measure can be officially sent to the governor the House of Representatives will need to concur with changes made in the Senate.
