House Passes Bill to Expand Texas Compassionate Use Program
Austin, TX — Supporters of patient access to medical marijuana in Texas logged a big victory with House Bill 1365, coauthored by State Rep. Erin Zwiener, passing out of the House last week. HB 1365, authored by Rep. Eddie Lucio III, expands the Texas Compassionate Use Program and opens up access to low-THC medical marijuana for patients with debilitating conditions such as PTSD, Alzheimer’s, autism, and muscular dystrophy. The legislation passed with a vote of 128-20.
“We know that medical marijuana can be used to treat a whole range of debilitating and chronic pain conditions,” said Rep. Zwiener. “Expanding compassionate use gives patients more options to treat their conditions and relieve their pain. I want to thank Rep. Lucio and the advocates, particularly parents of children with chronic conditions, who’ve worked so hard on this issue.”
Rep. Zwiener has focused on expanding compassionate use and the decriminalization of marijuana this session. She also coauthored Rep. Joseph Moody’s HB 63, which passed the House April 30th and lightens the penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Rep. Zwiener also authored House Bill 4145 to disallow a practitioner to refuse treatment or deny a controlled substance prescription solely because the results of a drug test taken by the patient indicated THC or cannabidiol in the patient’s body.
“We are making substantial progress this session on access to medical marijuana and marijuana decriminalization,” Rep. Zwiener said. “With these bills, we can provide Texas patients with another tool to relieve pain and improve their quality of life and stop forcing sick people to break the law in order to treat their medical conditions.”
Rep. Zwiener’s Dark Sky Preservation Bill Passes House
Austin, TX — Rural communities who rely on their dark night skies to attract tourism just got a big win in the Texas House. House Bill 4158, authored by Representative Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood), passed out of the Texas House of Representatives on Friday. This legislation will allow small cities in Hays and Blanco Counties to use revenue from their municipal hotel occupancy tax for construction and maintenance of the infrastructure that reduces light pollution and sky glow.
“Tourism is a key industry in the Texas Hill Country,” said Rep. Zwiener. “Bed and breakfasts, inns, and hotels all rely on our dark skies to attract and retain visitors. This bill will give our communities one more tool to protect the night sky and bring more astronomical tourists to local businesses.”
There are three internationally certified dark sky cities in Texas, and two of those, Dripping Springs and Wimberley, are located in House District 45. In addition, the City of Blanco is currently applying for the same dark sky designation.
All of these cities have worked jointly with local businesses and residents to protect the night sky and encourage astronomical tourism, and Dripping Springs holds an annual Texas Night Sky Festival that brings over 3000 visitors.
“This bill will support our small towns’ tourism, natural beauty, and the economy as a whole,” said Rep. Zwiener. “I am thrilled this bill was passed out of the House, and I’m optimistic that the Senate will move it forward as well.”
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