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The Texas House of Representatives on Thursday approved to a bill that would require the state to conduct a study into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA. This comes as numerous marijuana reform measures<\/a> move through the legislature.<\/p>\n The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Alex Dominguez (D), passed by a vote of 134-12. It had advanced on second reading via a voice vote a day earlier. It now heads to the Senate.<\/p>\n The House Public Health Committee passed the bill with amendments last week<\/a>. Members revised the measure to limit the scope of the state-funded study to focus on military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), rather than a broader list of conditions attached to the initial bill.<\/p>\n \u201cWe lose about 6,000 veterans every year\u2014and since 2001, we have lost 114,000 of our veterans to PTSD and suicide,\u201d Dominguez said on the floor before the second reading vote.<\/p>\n The legislation will do something that\u2019s \u201csorely needed, and that\u2019s taking a fresh look at what we can do to save the lives of our servicemen and women that have given their lives to this country,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can make a difference, and we can send a message to Washington that they need to be doing more.\u201d<\/p>\n The bill<\/a> would require the state to study the medical risks and benefits of psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine for veterans in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine and a military-focused medical center. It was also amended to mandate a clinical trial into psilocybin for veterans with PTSD, in addition to a broader review of the scientific literature on all three substances.<\/p>\n \u2014 The Health and Human Services Commission would have to submit quarterly reports on their progress, with a full report on the panel\u2019s findings be due by December 2024.<\/p>\n Former Gov. Rick Perry (R), who also served as U.S. energy secretary, has called on lawmakers to approve the psychedelics legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is the latest drug policy reform bill to move through the legislature this session.<\/p>\n Last week, the House approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession, sending it to the Senate. It would make possession of up to one ounce of cannabis a class C misdemeanor that does not come with the threat of jail time.<\/p>\n Texas lawmakers have also recently passed proposals to expand the state\u2019s medical marijuana program and reduce penalties for possessing cannabis concentrates.<\/p>\n The\u00a0House approved a cannabis decriminalization bill<\/a>\u00a0in 2019,\u00a0but it did not advance<\/a>\u00a0in the Senate that session.<\/p>\n Lawmakers last week also sent Gov. Greg Abbott (R) a bill\u00a0to clarify that a positive marijuana test alone is not sufficient criteria for removing a child from their home.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the House approved legislation that would make certain changes to the state\u2019s hemp program, including imposing rules related to the transportation and testing of consumable hemp products.<\/p>\n But most of these proposals face an uphill battle in the Senate, where it remains to be seen whether legislators will have the same appetite for reform or what kind of changes they might push for in any particular bill. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who presides over the Senate, has killed prior efforts to enact cannabis reform in the state, raising questions about the prospects of far-reaching changes advancing in the chamber.<\/p>\n For example, shortly after the House approved a decriminalization bill in 2019, Patrick declared the measure \u201cdead in the Texas Senate,\u201d stating that he sides with lawmakers \u201cwho oppose this step toward legalization of marijuana.\u201d<\/p>\n That same year, a spokesperson for the lieutenant governor was asked about a medical cannabis expansion bill and reiterated that he is \u201cstrongly opposed to weakening any laws against marijuana [and] remains wary of the various medicinal use proposals that could become a vehicle for expanding access to this drug.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s all to say that, unless Patrick has a change of heart on the issue, there\u2019s still a risk that he could singlehandedly quash the reform measures. But other legislative leaders do seem to be warming on the policy.<\/p>\n House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) said during a Texas Young Republicans event in March that while he wouldn\u2019t be able to distinguish marijuana from oregano, he said, \u201cI understand the issue.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n The speaker said that he voted for a limited medical cannabis legalization bill during his freshman year in the legislature, and his support for the reform is partly based on the fact that he has a \u201csister with severe epilepsy, and small amounts of CBD oil makes a big difference in people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Phelan also noted that he was a \u201cjoint author\u2014no pun intended\u201d of cannabis decriminalization legislation last session.<\/p>\n \u201cI was able to go back home and explain it, and it wasn\u2019t a big deal,\u201d he said. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s a reasonable criminal justice reform issue.\u201d<\/p>\n Texans\u2019 support for legalizing marijuana has\u00a0grown significantly over the past decade<\/a>, according to a poll released last month.<\/p>\n Sixty percent of state voters now back making cannabis legal \u201cfor any use,\u201d the University of Texas and Texas Tribune survey found. That compares to just 42 percent who said the same back in 2010.<\/p>\n And while Patrick\u2019s record on the issue is a source of concern for advocates, he and other legislative leaders\u00a0have recently indicated that they anticipate more modest proposals to be\u00a0taken up and potentially approved this session<\/a>, particularly as it concerns expanding the state\u2019s limited medical cannabis program.<\/p>\n Patrick said flatly, \u201csure, that will be looked at this session\u201d when asked about the prospect of expanding access to medical marijuana in January.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re always listening on the health issues, but we\u2019re not going to turn this into California,\u201d he said, \u201cwhere anybody can get a slip from the doctor and go down to some retail store and say, \u2018You know, I got a headache today so I need marijuana,\u2019 because that\u2019s just a veil for legalizing it for recreational use.\u201d<\/p>\n Phelan said he thinks \u201cthe House will look at\u201d reform measures this year, including bills to legalize for adult use. He said the lawmakers will likely \u201creview those again, and some will get traction, some will not.\u201d However, the Senate remains an obstacle for comprehensive reform.<\/p>\n Legislators in the state\u00a0prefiled more than a dozen pieces of cannabis legislation<\/a>\u00a0ahead of the new session. That includes bills that would legalize recreational marijuana, allow high-THC cannabis for medical use and decriminalize low-level possession of marijuana.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t Punish Universities That Study Marijuana, Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge In Letter To Congressional Leaders<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Image courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Texas House Approves Psychedelics Research Bill As Marijuana Reform Measures Also Advance<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The Texas House of Representatives on Thursday approved to a bill that would require the state to conduct a study into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA. This comes as numerous marijuana reform measures move through the legislature. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Alex Dominguez (D), passedContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":47564,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47563"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47563"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47565,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47563\/revisions\/47565"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nRead More: Texas House Approves Psychedelics Research Bill As Marijuana Reform Measures Also Advance<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"