Texas House Committee Holding Hearing on Medical Marijuana Legislation Tomorrow (May 1)
Tomorrow, May 1, Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy will join with patients, caregivers, and medical professionals from around the state to testify in support of House Bill 2107.
The Texas House Committee on Public Health will hold a hearing Tuesday on the bipartisan proposal that’s meant to fix the state’s “unworkable” medical marijuana program and make the unnecessarily restrictive law more inclusive.
According to a press release sent today by Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, the group will hold a pre-hearing media availability at 3 p.m. CT tomorrow, directly outside the hearing room (E2.012) of the State Capitol. Coalition leaders will be joined by patients (including Texas veterans), caregivers, medical professionals, and advocates from around the state who will be testifying in support of HB 2107, as well as multiple Texas families that have relocated to other states so their children can access medical marijuana.
HB 2107 would increase the number of medical conditions that qualify for the Texas Compassionate Use Program and allow patients to participate if they receive an official recommendation from their doctors. It would also improve the variety of medical marijuana available to patients. The program currently only permits patients suffering from intractable epilepsy to access specific types of medical marijuana that have been found to be ineffective for some patients. It also requires doctors to “prescribe” medical marijuana, which is not possible under federal law.
The following individuals are expected to testify during the hearing, and several of them will be participating in the media availability:
- David Bass, Killeen-based military veteran who served in Iraq
- Amanda Berard, San Antonio-based licensed vocational nurse and veteran with PTSD
- Terri Carriker, Dripping Springs-based mother of a child with intractable epilepsy
- Keith Crook, New Braunfels-based registered nurse and military veteran
- John Delaney, retired Texas District Court judge in Bryan
- Amy Fawell, Austin-based mother of a child with autism
- Rebecca Harmon, whose family relocated to Colorado from Chairman Price’s district so her daughter can access medical marijuana to treat epilepsy
- Natasha Harper-Madison, Austin-based cancer survivor
- Dr. Elias Jackson, Houston-based research scientist at Texas Medical Center
- Dr. Robert Marks, Austin-based anesthesiology and pain management doctor
- Glen and Tajh Mayes, whose family relocated to Colorado from Abilene so their son can access medical marijuana to treat a seizure disorder
- Michelle Walker, whose family relocated to Colorado from San Antonio so her son can access medical marijuana to treat autism
- Mark and Christy Zartler, Richardson-based parents whose daughter has used medical marijuana to treat autism and cerebral palsy
- Dr. Jokūbas Žiburkus, Houston-based neuroscientist and associate professor at University of Houston
- Additional Texas parents of children with epilepsy and other conditions that could be treated with medical marijuana
- Additional Texas patients and advocates