Advocates hope the three-day conference will bring about changes during the upcoming legislative session.
AUSTIN, Texas — Nearly 200 policymakers, physicians, patients and other advocates from across the country are gathering at Texas A&M University this week for the Texas Cannabis Policy Conference.
This comes just days after the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project released a poll finding that 68% of Texans support eliminating prison time for marijuana possession.
Currently, Texas allows doctors to prescribe low-THC cannabis to patients with certain medical conditions, including cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder and autism.
Terrance Baugh is community relations manager for Goodblend, one of the dispensaries approved through the state’s compassionate use program.
“It’s a broad range of people,” Bo said of his patients. “It’s not just the patient who’s getting relief, it’s the family structure, because everybody is seeing a change in their behavior.”
Bo is heading to College Station for a meeting.
“A&M itself is conducting cannabis research,” said Heather Fazio, executive director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, which is organizing the three-day event. “We’ll be showcasing some of the student researchers and faculty who are doing research on campus.”
Fazio said advocates have three goals for Texas’ next legislative session: decriminalize marijuana possession statewide, expand the state’s limited medical marijuana program to treat chronic pain and tighten regulations regarding hemp laws.
“Things like age restrictions, packaging requirements, doing better testing,” Fazio said. “Most importantly, we need to enforce the regulations that are set out in law.”
Many marijuana reform bills have faced consistent opposition in the Texas Senate so far this session.
But Fazio remains optimistic about the 89th Texas Legislature.
“We’ve already seen greater progress in the Texas Senate,” Fazio said, “with the Lt. Governor tasking the State Affairs Commission with regulating the hemp industry.”
Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) is a member of that committee and will speak and listen at the meeting.
“I want to know what other states are doing well,” Menendez said. “I want to know what other states are doing wrong.”
State senators plan to reintroduce a bill from last session that would have fully authorized medical marijuana.
“The government needs to get out of the exam room and let doctors and patients make the decisions that are best for them,” Menendez said.
Baugh also wants lawmakers to change the law to allow pharmacies to store products on-site overnight.
“We have to go to facilities that are approved to bring the product in and we can store it at those facilities,” Baugh said, “and we have to hire drivers that go out to Houston, Dallas and San Antonio every morning and put the product in the stores so people can pick it up.”
The Texas Cannabis Policy Conference will be held in College Station from Thursday, September 12th to Saturday, September 14th.
State lawmakers can introduce bills for the next legislative session starting Nov. 11. The 89th legislative session begins Jan. 14, 2025.
