Texas House Passes Bill To Expand Medical Marijuana Access

CBS Dallas/Fort Worth

April 29, 2021

House lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday afternoon that could significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana program.

House Bill 1535 would increase how many people are eligible for the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) and how strong the medical marijuana they use can be. The bill comes from Republican Rep. Stephanie Klick from Tarrant County, who authored the initial legislation in 2015 to create TCUP.

HB 1535 would allow Texans with cancer chronic pain, and PTSD access to the program. It would also authorize the Texas Department of State Health Services to grant use to Texans with other “debilitating conditions” in the future. Advocates say, more importantly, the bill would increase the amount of THC allowed in medical marijuana from .5% to 5%, a tenfold difference.

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