Members of the Texas Senate have unanimously approved a bill that legalizes marijuana oil for medicinal purposes.
For those who interpret it to mean that Texas has legalized marijuana, Tyler Republican Sen. Kevin Eltife said he faced similar challenges educating fellow lawmakers on what exactly is cannabidiol or CBD oil. “It’s very low in THC, it has no intoxicating effect, it has no street value, but the oil itself is so good for children with intractable epilepsy. It’s been proven to slow down seizures,” Eltife explained.
Eltife said many of these children have up to 200 seizures a day. He said his bill would give many parents an alternative to having to travel thousands of miles to one of eight states that have legalized marijuana and CBD oil.
“They just need something. Some of the drugs are so harsh on the children, that they can’t use them. There are a lot of side effects and this oil helps those children,” Eltife reaffirmed.
He stressed that his legislation was not an attempt to reform Texas’ marijuana laws or pass a medical marijuana bill. The legislation is being sent over to the House, where it will need to go through a committee hearing and full House vote. House members are also considering two other bills that would either decriminalize or legalize marijuana possession in the state of Texas. When asked whether he would support any of these efforts, Gov. Greg Abbott said he supports the state’s current marijuana law.
