Legislature is unlikely to legalize marijuana this session

Though one of several bills to decriminalize marijuana recently passed a legislative committee, advocates acknowledge it has slim odds of being adopted in Texas this legislative session.

But they hope lawmakers will expand use of the drug for medical reasons and work to lessen criminal penalties.

Top state lawmakers have long opposed legalization, despite a recent state poll that showed 67 percent of Texans favor allowing recreational use.

In the meantime, many residents have turned to hemp products such as delta-8 as an alternative to the state’s medical marijuana program.

Marijuana reform is “one of the issues where there’s a huge disconnect between public opinion and elected official action,” said Mike Siegel, political director of the progressive group Ground Game Texas.

Regardless of public sentiment, legalization is unlikely to happen over the objections of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Abbott has said he supports reducing the criminal penalty for minor marijuana possession charges but not legalizing it outright.

Texas NORML Executive Director Jax James said some bills might have a chance this session, such as letting doctors decide who can benefit from cannabis, raising THC potency in medical marijuana and reducing penalties for marijuana-related offenses.

“My goal this time around would be for us to have some hearings to really advance the conversation on what (marijuana reform) looks like here in Texas,” James said.

In Texas, marijuana was strictly illegal until a 2015 law allowed low-level THC cannabis oil to be used as a treatment for epilepsy in what became known as the Texas Compassionate Use Program.

The law was amended in 2021 to raise the THC cap on medical marijuana from 0.5 percent to 1 percent. Comparatively, recreational marijuana often can be 15 to 21 percent THC, according to research by the University of Southern California.

“Texas needs to let cancer victims and others have access to the medical and therapeutic options whenever they’re trying to treat (the) serious conditions that they’re living with,” James said.

Currently, the qualifying conditions for the state’s compassionate use program include epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, spasticity, autism, ALS, terminal cancer and neurodegenerative disease.

While the uphill battle for marijuana legalization and medical program expansion continues, Texans have been