The two measures would've decriminalized marijuana and expanded medical cannabis access.
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Houston Chonicle
Michael Murney, Chron
Two Texas bills that would've decriminalized marijuana and expanded medical marijuana access to tens of thousands have died in the Senate following Republican leadership's refusal to bring either to the floor for discussion.
A bipartisan coalition of Texas lawmakers in March passed a bill through the committee stage that would effectively decriminalize weed within the state's borders. If passed into law, the bill sought to "remove the risk of arrest or jail time for low-level possession of cannabis and allow people to eventually erase cannabis issues from their criminal records." The House approved the decriminalization bill via a bipartisan vote in late April.
The Texas House also voted in favor of another bill that would open the state's existing medical marijuana program to tens of thousands of residents as an alternative to opioids. The Texas Compassionate Use Program already allows doctors to prescribe low-THC marijuana products to qualifying patients. People with cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and a number of other "debilitating medical conditions" currently qualify for the program. Under the Republican-authored bill, people suffering from chronic pain would've also been added to the list of qualifying medical marijuana patients.
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who determines which bills the Senate considers as a full chamber, refused to include either reform measure in the Senate's agenda before Memorial Day, leaving both in the legislative graveyard for this year's session.
"It's just one of those things that have become entrenched in the social conservative perspective that defines the Republican Party," Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson told the San Antonio Current. "I don't think there's any indication [Patrick] wants to compromise on that."