FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, June 21, 2025

Contact: Violet Cavendish
vcavendish@mpp.org

Austin, TX — On Saturday, Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed a medical cannabis expansion bill (HB 46) into law, making Texas the 40th state to legalize cannabis for medical use. 

The final version of HB46 includes several improvements to the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP). Previously, TCUP was an extremely limited, restrictive, low-THC medical cannabis program that didn’t meet the Marijuana Policy Project’s standard to be considered a medical cannabis state.

“For too long, the existing Texas Compassionate Use Program has been severely limited, leaving countless Texans without the relief they desperately need. Texans have spoken, and their voices have been heard. HB 46 will expand access to medical cannabis, a relatively safe and effective treatment option that has long been sought by patients suffering from pain and several other serious medical conditions,” said Kevin Caldwell, Southeast Legislative Manager at the Marijuana Policy Project.

The improvements to TCUP include adding chronic pain, Crohn’s disease, and traumatic brain injury as qualifying conditions, and adding methods of delivery to include lotions, patches, suppositories, pulmonary inhalation with approved nebulizers, inhalers, and vaporizers (when directed by a doctor). Further, the bill replaces the current limit of 1% THC by weight with up to 10 milligrams per dose and a package not to exceed 1 gram of THC. The bill also requires The Department of Public Safety to issue 12 more licenses for dispensing organizations (for a total of 15 total). Dispensing organizations must become operational within 24 months after the license is issued. A full summary of HB 46 is available here.

With the addition of Texas, 40 states and Washington, D.C. now have workable medical cannabis laws. Polling consistently shows that the vast majority of Americans support allowing seriously ill patients to use cannabis for medical purposes with their doctors’ approval.

"Following in the footsteps of 39 other states, Texas has embraced a commonsense policy that will ensure that Texans facing serious medical conditions have access to a medicine that's already successfully improving lives nationwide. This new law is a direct result of overwhelming public support, acknowledging medical cannabis as a valuable, scientifically-supported option for managing chronic pain and debilitating illnesses," said Lauren Daly, Interim Executive Director at the Marijuana Policy Project.

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Founded in 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization. MPP has played a central role in passing dozens of cannabis policy reforms in states across the country, including 14 successful cannabis legalization campaigns, and also works to advance federal reforms.

Visit www.mpp.org for more information.