In the fight against opioid overdose deaths, Texas is looking to make cannabis an alternative. Chronic pain is a widespread issue in Texas, with millions of people suffering from conditions that cause pain that lasts for weeks or even years. Unfortunately, opioids have been the go-to treatment for chronic pain, despite the fact that they come with serious risks, including addiction, overdose, and death. But now, Texas lawmakers have passed a bill that would allow medical marijuana to be used as an alternative to opioids for pain management.
The Texas House Public Health Committee approved House Bill 1535, which would expand the state’s existing medical cannabis program. The bill increases the THC amount cap for cannabis oil from 0.5 percent to one percent for medical cannabis. It also allows the use of cannabis oil for any condition for which a physician would prescribe an opioid.
The Texas Department of State Health Services would regulate the medical cannabis program. It would also be responsible for overseeing the testing and labeling of cannabis products. The state would also create a research program to study the effectiveness of medical cannabis in treating conditions such as PTSD, cancer, and chronic pain.
Opioid overdose deaths have been on the rise in Texas, and medical marijuana is seen as a possible solution to opioid deaths. Medical cannabis has been shown to be effective in treating chronic pain, with fewer side effects than opioids. It can also be used to treat conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn’s disease.
Texas patients have been calling for the expansion of the state’s medical cannabis program for years. The current program only allows for the use of low-THC cannabis oil for patients with intractable epilepsy. The new bill would expand the program to include more conditions and allow for the use of cannabis oil for any other condition causing chronic pain for which a physician would prescribe an opioid.
The passage of this bill is a significant step forward for medical marijuana in Texas. The state has been slow to embrace cannabis as a medicine, but with the growing awareness of the risks associated with opioids, more lawmakers are looking for alternatives. The new bill will help Texans suffering from chronic pain and other conditions to access the medicine they need.
The Texas House has passed a bill that would expand the state’s medical cannabis program and increase the THC cap for medical cannabis. The bill is a significant step forward in providing Texans with an alternative to opioids for pain management. With medical cannabis becoming more widely accepted across the country, it’s exciting to see Texas lawmakers taking steps to ensure that their constituents have access to safe and effective medicine.
Texas and Cannabis
Texas lawmakers are considering medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids, in a bid to address the state’s opioid epidemic. The state’s House Public Health Committee has passed a bill that would allow patients with chronic pain to access medical marijuana with a maximum THC cap of one percent. Cannabis oil would also be allowed under the bill, which is now headed to the House floor.
The move comes amid a growing number of opioid overdose deaths in the Lone Star State. The state’s compassionate use program currently only allows for low-THC medical cannabis to be used for a limited number of conditions, such as incurable neurodegenerative diseases, seizures, and terminal cancer.
The House Bill, which was adopted by the committee, would expand access to medical cannabis for patients with qualifying conditions, including those causing chronic pain. The bill also includes a provision for the state health services to develop rules on the administration of medical cannabis using the volumetric dose method, with a maximum volumetric dose of 10 milligrams of THC.
Stephanie Klick (R), who chairs the House Public Health Committee, said that the bill would provide patients with a safer alternative to opioids, which have been linked to addiction and overdose deaths. “We have an opportunity to provide real relief to Texans who are suffering from chronic pain and other debilitating conditions,” state rep. Klick said in a statement.
The substitute amendment to the bill was introduced by Representative Joe Moody (D) and included the addition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of qualifying conditions. The amendment also included provisions for records expungement for those with past cannabis convictions.
The bill must now be passed by the House floor and the Texas Senate before it can be signed into state law. The initial hearing on the expansion bill was held in the separate House committee on Disease Control and Prevention, which voted unanimously in favor of the bill.
Texas voters have shown support for medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids, with a 2019 University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll finding that 83 percent of voters supported legalizing medical marijuana.
New Texas bill to expand medical industry
A new bill in Texas aims to expand the medical industry, allowing patients to include the use of medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids for the treatment of chronic pain. The bill, which was passed by the Texas House of Representatives Public Health Committee, sets a one percent THC cap on medical cannabis and allows patients with qualifying conditions to access cannabis oil.
The bill comes amid a nationwide opioid epidemic that has led to a rise in opioid overdose deaths. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, in 2019 alone, there were 3,244 opioid-related overdose deaths in the state.
The new bill, House Bill 1535, is aimed at providing patients with an alternative to opioids for pain management, and follows a similar bill passed in 2019 that expanded opioid use under the state’s Compassionate Use Program.
Texas lawmakers hope that the bill will provide a safer and more effective option prescription opioids for patients with chronic pain, as well as other qualifying conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and incurable neurodegenerative diseases.
The bill has faced some opposition, with some lawmakers arguing that the one percent THC cap is too low and that the volumetric dose method, which sets a maximum volumetric dose of 10 milligrams per day, is too restrictive.
However, the bill has gained support from advocates who argue that expanding access to medical cannabis could help combat the opioid epidemic and provide relief to patients in need.
The bill will now move to the Texas House floor for further debate and a vote, before heading to the Texas Senate for consideration. If passed into state law, the bill would expand access to medical cannabis for qualifying patients in the Lone Star State.