The cannabis community and other pro cannabis organizations have all been very excited by the recent progress that has been made in the medical marijuana industry. Due to more medical marijuana reform and a better perspective on the medicinal herb, medical cannabis is more accessible in the United States than it has ever been before. At the current moment, there are over 35 states in America that have legalized medical marijuana, and 14 of those have actually legalized cannabis for all adults over the age of 21. This means that American citizens in those states can use marijuana anytime they want, even without a medical card, as long as they are over the age of 21. Folks who are living in these states have a great natural alternative to other medications and treatments for their medical conditions. In fact, many patients who suffer from chronic diseases, health disorders, or severe pain have found relief and other health benefits by using medical marijuana. However, not every state in the United States is as accepting of the idea of medical marijuana. One such state is Texas.
Texas is well known to be a conservative state and generally not kind to any sort of substance. Marijuana is no exception to this, but Texas remains very resistant to reform and change regarding marijuana policies in the state. While it is true that Texas has a medical marijuana program, the program is completely underfunded and very restrictive. The qualifying conditions that a patient would need to successfully obtain a medical marijuana card need to be extremely severe, and are usually end of life scenarios. The restrictive laws of medical cannabis in Texas have left the industry severely behind others in the country, and it currently has one of the most limiting programs in the entire United States.
So what would it look like if Texas could make changes to their laws regarding medical marijuana? Well, most say that it would look like other successful states like Michigan or Colorado, that have fully legalised cannabis for all adults over the age of 21. One such benefit of getting rid of cannabis prohibition in Texas would be increased tax revenue. We know that states that have legalized cannabis in other forms are experiencing huge tax revenues from the medical marijuana industry and are able to put the money into great things like education, infrastructure, healthcare, and other public services. Also, better medical marijuana programs in the state of Texas would alleviate a lot of the healthcare costs associated with patients struggling from diseases and other conditions.
Especially considering all the state of Texas went through last year with the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s no secret that the state is struggling with their budget. However, Speaker Dennis Bonnen was quoted saying that, since the budget in Texas is so large and complex, marijuana alone would not be a simple solution to the current budget problems. These comments have made others who agree with Bonnen more likely to support prohibition of marijuana. Personally, I think that marijuana being legalized in Texas would help do a lot of good for the citizens of Texas. There’s no doubt that many medical patients would take advantage of reform to the state’s medical programs, and we have already seen such a great increase in the medical marijuana industry in other states that I cannot imagine things not going well in Texas. I know this article may be a bit boring, but I am having kind of an off day and need to lay down for a bit. Have a great Thanksgiving and make sure to smoke a bowl with your family!
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