The House Public Health Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday on a measure to allow the medical use of marijuana, as attempts continue to get marijuana liberalization laws through the Republican controlled Legislature this session, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
.Heather Fazio of the Texas Marijuana Policy Project says it is a major step on the way toward bringing the state's draconian marijuana laws into the 21st century.
"It has bipartisan support, now with four Republican co authors," she said. "We are thrilled to see this meaningful legislation advancing, where we can have a meaningful dialogue."
Several marijuana bills are being pushed this session, ranging from medical use to decriminalization to full legalization, but marijuana reform has repeatedly been declared dead due to opposition from Gov. Abbott.
At this time in the session, with less than a month left, the threat of a gubernatorial veto is frequently enough to stall legislation, because lawmakers don't want to spend precious time debating a bill that will face a veto anyway.
But what has pushed medical marijuana legislation forward are new reports showing that marijuana works better than psychotropic drugs, with their sometimes debilitation side effects, in fighting the impact of PTSD in veterans.
"The voices of patients, caregivers, and medical professionals have been heard by Chairman Price (Rep Walter 'Four' Price R-Amarillo, who heads the committee), and he has scheduled House Bill 2107 for a hearing," she said. "This bill would make the compassionate use program more inclusive for patients with debilitating medical conditions."
Currently, the only type of marijuana that can legally be used in Texas is a form of cannabis oil which can be used to treat a specific form of seizure disorder. When he signed the bill legalizing the use of the material in 2015, Abbott said he would not favor any more liberalization of marijuana laws.
But observers point out that Abbott has not specifically commented on this bill, and support for veterans is a key issue among Republican lawmakers.
Some Texas cities are bypassing the Legislature completely, and moving to decriminalize posession of small amounts of marijuana on their own. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar and District Attorney Nico LaHood are putting together a plan to use prosecutorial discretion to 'cite and release' people arrested with a small amount of pot.