Texas lawmakers OK new conditions for medical cannabis use

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Texas lawmakers passed a bill that would increase the number of qualifying patient conditions for medical marijuana, a development that likely could boost dispensary sales in the state’s limited MMJ program.

The Texas Senate passed HB 3703 on Wednesday after it previously advanced through the State House.

The measure now goes to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican.

Currently, Texas allows the sale of medical cannabis only to people with intractable epilepsy.

If signed into law by the governor, HB 3703 would add all forms of epilepsy, seizure disorders, autism, terminal cancer, Parkinson’s and other conditions, according to the Dallas Morning News.

The bill would retain a 0.5% cap on THC content.

The measure authorizes a more narrow expansion of the state’s medical cannabis program than HB 1365, which has passed the House but still is in the Senate with five days to go in the legislative session.

HB 1365 also would allow post-traumatic stress disorder as a qualifying condition as well as ailments that produce severe pain and nausea. The measure also would establish a new oversight board that could consider higher dosages for specific conditions.