Austin, TX--Texas lawmakers have introduced a bill permitting physicians to prescribe medicinal cannabis as an alternative to opioid prescriptions for patients with chronic pain.
[Image via Houston Chronicle]
HB 1805, authored by Rep. Stephanie Klick, was approved unanimously by the House Public Health Committee. The bill would expand the list of qualifying conditions for low-THC medical cannabis prescriptions, including chronic pain. Texas passed the Compassionate-Use Program (CUP) in 2015, allowing the first legal use of low-THC cannabis products in the state.
The program initially covered patients with intractable epilepsy but was expanded in 2019 and 2021 to include other conditions such as epilepsy, autism, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Low-THC cannabis is derived from the Cannabis Sativa L. plant and contains a maximum of 0.5 percent THC by weight. Medical use is limited to swallowing a prescribed dose, not smoking.
Prescription drug-related overdoses in the U.S. have increased, with over 106,000 drug-involved overdose deaths in 2021. Texans have expressed support for decriminalizing marijuana and expanding the medical marijuana program.
Texas lawmakers are also considering legislation decriminalizing marijuana possession, with HB 218 authored by Rep. Joe Moody.
Read more in this report.