AUSTIN, Texas — A bill to expand Texas' medical marijuana program was passed by the state House of Representatives on Tuesday, making it one step closer to the governor's desk.
The state's Compassionate Use Program allows registered doctors to prescribe low-THC cannabis to patients with certain medical conditions.
The list of conditions started with epilepsy in 2015 and has since grown to include cancer, PTSD and a handful of other conditions.
Republican state Rep. Stephanie Klick's House Bill 1805 expands that list even further. It would include "a condition that causes chronic pain, for which a physician would otherwise prescribe an opioid."
Also on the list, "a debilitating medical condition" as designated by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The bill would also change the definition of what qualifies as low-THC.
Advocates at the state Capitol for the vote called HB 1805 a great bill they're happy to see advance.
“Representative Klick has been the author of every change and the creation of the Compassionate Use, and this is another important bill that will make this state-sanctioned program more accessible for Texas patients," said Texas NORML Executive Director Jax James.
James is optimistic that Rep. Klick's success on medical cannabis expansion bills in prior legislative sessions will continue for this bill. She said Klick worked with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other lawmakers to draft a bill that can pass the Senate, where the bill is headed after one final reading in the House.