Hundreds of bills have been filed to the Texas Legislature as they go into session on January 8th. Several of these bills are dealing with medical marijuana. The Texas Compassionate Use Program or better known as T-CUP allows only patients with intractable epilepsy to consume a low dose of medical marijuana. However, that was the beginning but now many believe that medical marijuana will be and should be available and readily accessible to the patients who need it.
Senator Jose Menendez is on the front foot leading the charge for the expansion of the T-CUP law. He was quoted saying “I am saddened that we decided to pick it for only medical problems, what of our grandparents who have cancer and cataracts? Or those veterans who suffer from PTSD? Or the mother, brother, father, sister with Parkinson’s, ALS or multiple sclerosis?”
Senate’s Bill 90
In November, Senator Jose Menendez filled Bill 90 which would be looking to expand the use of medical marijuana to cover more patients and more ailments that can be treated with medical marijuana. However, the bill allows more than three dispensaries around the state to cultivate, grow and deliver the medical marijuana.
Senator Jose Menendez said, “I am not rooting for recreational marijuana, all I am doing is advocating for a qualified doctor to be involved and for a patient who has a medical reason gain access to the drug.”
The question now is, what are the chances that Texas will expand this and legalize medical marijuana? Menendez believes that there is quite a lucrative shot considering his last bill had bipartisan support. He said, “I hope that the legislature will forget about the working distractions any other normal bill and look and work on the facts that will really make a difference in the lives of the Texas state people.”
