Texas bill would reduce dependency on opioids in favor of marijuana

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Texas lawmakers want to boost access to stronger marijuana to get rid of addictive opioids

Prescription opioid treatment can be very effective but extremely risky at the same time. In addition to creating dependence, these medications often have side effects that affect patients’ quality of life. Texas lawmakers seem to be aware of this and demonstrated it by passing legislation that would allow doctors to recommend the use of medical cannabis for patients with a condition that causes chronic pain. The measure would also replace the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) limit that was established under the state’s existing limited medical cannabis law.

The bill introduced by Representative Stephanie Klick had no trouble receiving the go-ahead from the House Public Health Committee yesterday. The decision comes about a week after members testified on the proposal at an initial hearing.

Texas appears to be making big strides on cannabis issues as a few weeks ago, a House committee unanimously gave the green light to a bill to decriminalize cannabis possession in the state and provide a pathway for record expungement. For its part, the medical cannabis expansion proposal would replace the 1% THC cap for marijuana oil with a volumetric dose of 10 milligrams.

The main goal of the legislation is to qualify patients for access to low-THC marijuana products. Typically, physicians would recommend an opioid to treat a chronic pain condition. However, Klick seeks to give these specialists the opportunity to prescribe cannabis-based products in order to provide a safer and more effective solution.