Texas lawmakers introduced bills in the House and Senate last Friday that would allow access to medical marijuana for people with a variety of debilitating conditions, including cancer, seizures, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Representative Marisa Márquez (D-El Paso) introduced House Bill 3785, and Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio) would sponsor a companion bill in the Senate if the House passes Márquez’s legislation.
Rep. Márquez criticized the current state of the law in Texas: “The law currently does not reflect marijuana’s legitimate medical use and denies access to patients, such as veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, citizens suffering with cancer and severe ailments of the aging… We should create paths, and not obstacles, in allowing doctors to recommend medicine that has been shown to work.”
The bill goes further than legislation previously introduced at the Texas capital, which aimed at allowing access to CBD oils that contain little to no THC. According to a February 2014 University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll, more than three-quarters of Texans support the right of seriously ill people to access medical marijuana.
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