In an unprecedented win for cannabis normalization in Texas, the state’s Republican Party announced at a GOP convention last week that it was adding an expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program to the party’s political platform.
Here’s the exact language approved last week by the Texas GOP:
We call upon the Texas Legislature to improve the 2015 Compassionate Use Act to allow doctors to determine the appropriate use of cannabis to prescribed patients.
According to Heather Fazio, Texas Political Director for the Marijuana Policy Project, this is a hopeful sign.
“This confirms what we already knew: marijuana law reform is not a partisan issue,” Fazio said in a statement. “Across the board, Texans of all political persuasions acknowledge that cannabis is medicine and support the reforming of outdated policies.”
The 2015 Compassionate Use Act was passed to open up only individuals suffering from intractable epilepsy to CBD oil treatment. While this announcement is not a direct policy change, it signals that the Texas Republican Party should at least be willing to have serious discussions about how best to expand the program.
The GOP’s new-found progressive ideals, however, do not extend to the full legalization of cannabis. They also approved the following language:
We oppose legalization of illicit and synthetic drugs. We also oppose any needle exchange programs. Faith based rehabilitation programs should be considered as a part of an overall rehabilitation program.
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