Abbott: Texas Won't Legalize Medicinal Or Recreational Marijuana
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AUSTIN (AP/CBSDFW.COM) - Republican Governor Greg Abbott says Texas won't legalize marijuana for medicinal or recreational use for as long as he's in office.
Abbott ended his first legislative session Monday by making clear that pot laws won't be relaxed under his watch. His comments came while signing Senate Bill 339 - a law that gives patients with intractable epilepsy (IE) access to low doses of cannabis oil (CBD oil).
IE afflicts an estimated 149,000 individuals in Texas, typically children, and patients with IE can suffer hundreds of seizures per week.
The extract comes from marijuana plants and helps control seizures but doesn't produce a high.
"There is currently no cure for intractable epilepsy and many patients have had little to no success with currently approved drugs," said Governor Abbott. "However, we have seen promising results from CBD oil testing and with the passage of this legislation, there is now hope for thousands of families who deal with the effects of intractable epilepsy every day."
More than 20 states allow some form medicinal marijuana, but Abbott signaled that Texas won't be joining the list.
His stance isn't surprising given his staunch conservatism. But supporters of marijuana reform have expressed hope that limited approval of cannabis oil would be a step toward change in Texas.
Only epilepsy patients are eligible for the treatment and requires DPS to regulate entities who meet the strict qualifications for manufacturing and dispensing CBD oil.
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