From TXNORML “Today, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing and the quickly voted to unanimously pass HB 3703, a proposal to make low-THC cannabis available to those with all seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, and spasticity. Senator Donna Campbell has sponsored the bill in the Senate and offered a committee substitute of the legislation. Her substitute would also add terminal cancer, incurable neurodegenerative disease, autism, and ALS. However, service related disabilities such as PTSD and chronic pain were not included in the qualifying conditions list. This is especially disappointing since those conditions were included in HB 1365 (inclusive medical cannabis), which did not get scheduled for a hearing in time to progress.
Ask your Senators to support any amendment that would allow for PTSD and intractable pain! The letter is already written, just enter your address so the system can find who your senator is, and then click send to deliver the pre-written message to your senator.
Time is very short with the session ending on May 27th. We have one last opportunity to have the bill improved by amendments, Senate floor debate. It is imperative that every Republican Senator and the Lt Governor hear from Texas Veterans who need access to medical cannabis. We cannot wait another two years!
With Memorial Day approaching, the best way our senators can support veterans is by supporting service related disabilities being added to the qualifying conditions list. Not just veterans suffer from many of these conditions, so let’s continue to fight for all Texans medical freedoms!
PS Learn more about the details from today’s hearing.”
To add on top of this, understand that it wasn’t an issue of not fighting for this in the committee hearing, or even from some senators behind closed doors. Numerous veterans with Veterans for Medical Marijuana held a meeting May 16th at the capitol, where they went to each of the senators offices to voice adding service related disabilities to the list of conditions, specifically PTSD and intractable pain. They tried to deliver a wreath to the Lt. Governor but was told that his office was unable to accept the wreath because it looked like it costs more than $50 and was against senate rules.
Each senator visited was given a red rose to honor our fallen comrades and remind the senator of why we were there to talk about the topic. Senator Donna Campbell was given a bouquet of red roses as a reminder and as a thanks for supporting the movement with not only her own bill, but sponsoring HB3703 after it made it out of the house. That wreath was left outside Joe Moody’s office by the Medal of Honor display to honor that he did his best to decriminalize low possession amounts in the state of Texas this session.
Speaking with Senator Campbell’s office today information was given that the senator tried to get the committee to add PTSD to the list of conditions, but wasn’t able to convince the committee of adding the condition as an amendment. She is in support of having it added, but believes there may not be support in the chamber for an amendment to add those conditions.
This is why it is important that everyone is contacting their senator and telling them that they want them to support an amendment to this bill that adds PTSD and intractable pain. It will not only benefit veterans, but first responders, and any citizen with the conditions.
Ask your Senators to support any amendment that would allow for PTSD and intractable pain! The letter is already written, just enter your address so the system can find who your senator is, and then click send to deliver the pre-written message to your senator.
