Governor Abbott Signs Bill Focused On Medical Marijuana Use
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) — Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill Friday focused on who can access medical marijuana in Texas.
House Bill 3703 will allow doctors to legally allow patients with medical seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, spasticity, terminal cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, autism and ALS to obtain medical cannabis with up to .5% THC from a state-licensed dispensary.
The bill will help people like Blake Novacek, the son of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek and his wife Amy, who has suffered with seizures after he was violently attacked as a fraternity pledge.
Just last month, Novacek suffered from a seizure at the Texas Capitol while waiting to talk to lawmakers about gaining legal access to medical marijuana.
His family said they want to save their son's life and cannabis has worked for him in the past.
Joshua Raines, an Army veteran with PTSD, has also plead with lawmakers to extend medical marijuana access to veterans suffering with the disorder.
"I've lost more friends to suicide than I have to combat," he said.
Raines treated his own PTSD with cannabis and said without it, he might have died of suicide, too.
The new bill goes into effect September 1.