Texas Ag Commissioner pens support of medical marijuana expansion

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller penned an editorial Friday expressing his support for increasing the “compassionate use” of hashish merchandise in Texas. 

Miller began out by saying that, previously, Texas coverage on hashish has not been pushed by details however, slightly, worry. 

“As I look back, I believe that cannabis prohibition came from a place of fear, not from medical science or the analysis of social harm,” Miller wrote. “Sadly, the roots of this came from a history of racism, classism and a large central government with an authoritarian desire to control others. It is as anti-American in its origins as could be imaginable.”

He continued, calling for the state to enter “a new chapter and a new attitude about the use of cannabis” and its potential medical advantages. 

Texas lawmakers accepted again in 2015 a medical marijuana program meant for folks with epilepsy. Since then, the record of individuals who can use it for medical functions has expanded. Gov. Greg Abbott signed a invoice to just do that in June 2021. 

A regulation increasing the use of medical marijuana in 2019 added these with terminal most cancers, autism, a number of sclerosis and others to the record of authorized customers. Then, in 2021, a further regulation additional expanded the use to all types of most cancers and post-traumatic stress dysfunction.

That regulation, which went into impact final September, additionally doubled the quantity of THC allowed in marijuana merchandise from 0.5% to 1%. 

Miller wrote that his purpose subsequent 12 months is to develop entry to medical marijuana in Texas “so that every Texan with a medical need has access to these medicines.” 

RELATED: Gov. Abbott indicators extra payments, together with one increasing entry to medical marijuana

“I will urge our state legislature and our Governor to make that a top priority in the upcoming legislative session,” he wrote. “It is time for all of us, including the Governor, members of the Texas Legislature and others to come together and set aside our political differences to have an honest conversation about cannabis: where we have been, where we are going and what role government should properly play.”

Miller highlighted different states, together with conservative ones, which have legalized medical marijuana and others which have legalized marijuana gross sales to all adults. 

Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas at the moment permit the use of medical marijuana, however not leisure use. New Mexico is at the moment the one state bordering Texas that has legalized the sale of leisure marijuana. That New Mexico regulation went into impact on April 1. 

“We owe it to our fellow Texans, especially those who are suffering, to lead or just get out of the way if we cannot formulate effective cannabis policy for Texas,” Miller wrote.

Read the total editorial on the Texas Department of Agriculture’s website. 

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