---
title: Texas blows two good chances to move forward on Marijuana
description: Texas has been doing marijuana reform the right way, moving slowly and evaluating the consequences while other states have flown ahead to full legalization
image: https://420intel.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Texas%20blows%20two%20good%20chances%20to%20move%20forward%20on%20Marijuana.jpg
---

[![420intel.com](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Asset%2016-1.png?width=300&height=162&name=Asset%2016-1.png "420intel.com")](https://420intel.com)

- [Home](https://420intel.com)
- [Advertise](https://420intel.com/advertise)
- [Directory](https://420intel.com/directory)
- [Topics](https://420intel.com/blog) 
    - [Recreational News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/recreational-cannabis-news)
    - [Business News](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-business-news)
    - [Politics](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-politics)
    - [Technology](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-technology-news)
    - [Research](https://420intel.com/tag/medical-cannabis-news)
- [Contact](https://420intel.com/contact-us)

- [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/420intel)
- [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/420-intel/)
- [Follow us on Twitter](https://x.com/420intel)
- [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/420intel)

### Press ESC to close

[![420intel.com](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Asset%2016-1.png?width=300&height=162&name=Asset%2016-1.png "420intel.com")](https://420intel.com)

- [Home](https://420intel.com)
- [Advertise](https://420intel.com/advertise)
- [Directory](https://420intel.com/directory)
- [Topics](https://420intel.com/blog) 
    - [Recreational News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/recreational-cannabis-news)
    - [Business News](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-business-news)
    - [Politics](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-politics)
    - [Technology](https://420intel.com/tag/cannabis-technology-news)
    - [Research](https://420intel.com/tag/medical-cannabis-news)
- [Contact](https://420intel.com/contact-us)

- [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/420intel)
- [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/420-intel/)
- [Follow us on Twitter](https://x.com/420intel)
- [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/420intel)

# Texas blows two good chances to move forward on Marijuana

- [Admin](https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin)
- [Cannabis Politics](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/cannabis-politics)
- 7 March 2024

## Texas has been doing marijuana reform the right way, moving slowly and evaluating the consequences while other states have flown ahead to full legalization.

But there’s moving slowly and there’s not moving at all. This year, the Legislature — the Senate, specifically — unfortunately chose to stand still.

Two sensible measures made it out of the House with strong majorities. One would add chronic pain to the list of medical conditions for which one could get legal, mild cannabis products. The other would take an important incremental step on recreational weed use, lessening the penalties and making possession of a small, personal amount akin to a traffic ticket.

The House, which has voted in three straight legislative sessions to reduce criminal penalties, reflects bipartisan public sentiment. The Senate reflects the iron hand of one state official: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

These bills, like others before them, never got as much as a single committee hearing in Patrick’s Senate. It’s uncertain whether a majority of senators oppose them. There’s just not much room to buck the three-term lieutenant governor, especially among his fellow Republicans.

Their constituents’ views are clear. In poll after poll, Texans say they want decriminalization — nearly three-quarters of respondents in a December survey by the University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Politics project.

The methodical push on medical cannabis has been led by Fort Worth Rep. Stephanie Klick. She’s a reliably conservative Republican who trained as a nurse and lets research guide her legislation.

Over eight years, she and other lawmakers have created a “compassionate use” program. They’ve been careful: The program started with only one condition eligible, a form of epilepsy. Products must be low in THC, the compound that produces marijuana’s high. And participants don’t get pot to smoke; it must be dispensed in the form of, say, an edible or applicable oil.

Many Texans who need relief from chronic pain turn to opioids, and we’ve seen the dangers of addiction and abuse of pills. Apparently Patrick thinks those consequences are preferable to letting doctors prescribe cannabis gummies.

The decriminalization bill was another sensible step. States that have rushed into full legalization are starting to see consequences, including widespread public use. A better approach is something like the measure the House approved. It would drop penalties for possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana to a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $500 fine. It would prevent needless arrests that clog our jails and establish a protocol for expunging minor pot convictions from one’s criminal record.

## For more Cannabis News like this, circle back to [420intel.com](https://420intel.com/)!

## [420 Intel News](https://420intel.com/content/about-us) | [420 Advertising](https://420intel.com/contact/advertising_opportunities) | [Cannabis Business News](https://420intel.com/articles/marijuana-business-news) | [Medical Marijuana News](https://420intel.com/articles/medical-cannabis-news) | [Recreational Marijuana News](https://420intel.com/articles/recreational-marijuana-news)

[Cannabis Politics](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/cannabis-politics) [Cannabis Business News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/cannabis-business-news)

#### [Admin](https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin)

[Cannabis Jobs](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/cannabis-jobs) [![Cop Terminated for Cannabis use is cleared in shooting death of suspect](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Cop%20Terminated%20for%20Cannabis%20use%20is%20cleared%20in%20shooting%20death%20of%20suspect.jpg?width=550&height=395&name=Cop%20Terminated%20for%20Cannabis%20use%20is%20cleared%20in%20shooting%20death%20of%20suspect.jpg)](https://420intel.com/blog/cop-terminated-cannabis-use-cleared-shooting-death-suspect)

- [Admin](https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin)
- 7 March 2024

#### [Cop Terminated for Cannabis use is cleared in shooting death of suspect](https://420intel.com/blog/cop-terminated-cannabis-use-cleared-shooting-death-suspect)

A state grand jury has declined to charge a Jersey City police officer who has been embroiled in...

[Cannabis Technology News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/cannabis-technology-news) [![CBD start-up lands sales deal with Amazon](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/CBD%20start-up%20lands%20sales%20deal%20with%20Amazon.jpg?width=550&height=395&name=CBD%20start-up%20lands%20sales%20deal%20with%20Amazon.jpg)](https://420intel.com/blog/cbd-start-lands-sales-deal-amazon)

- [Admin](https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin)
- 7 March 2024

#### [CBD start-up lands sales deal with Amazon](https://420intel.com/blog/cbd-start-lands-sales-deal-amazon)

A north-east company producing oil derived from cannabis and backed by BrewDog multi-millionaire...

[Recreational Cannabis News](https://420intel.com/blog/tag/recreational-cannabis-news) [![Cannabis doesn’t make you more creative, but you think so](https://420intel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Cannabis%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20make%20you%20more%20creative%2c%20but%20you%20think%20so.jpg?width=550&height=395&name=Cannabis%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20make%20you%20more%20creative%2c%20but%20you%20think%20so.jpg)](https://420intel.com/blog/cannabis-doesnt-make-you-more-creative-you-think-so)

- [Admin](https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin)
- 7 March 2024

#### [Cannabis doesn’t make you more creative, but you think so](https://420intel.com/blog/cannabis-doesnt-make-you-more-creative-you-think-so)

## If you're smoking to get the creative juices flowing well, that ain't gonna do it.

It's often said...

- [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/420intel)
- [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/420intel)
- [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/420intel)
- [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/420intel)

Back to Top

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Admin",
    "url" : "https://420intel.com/blog/author/admin"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2025-05-28T18:31:17.872Z",
  "datePublished" : "2024-03-07T20:48:53.000Z",
  "headline" : "Texas blows two good chances to move forward on Marijuana",
  "image" : [ "https://420intel.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Texas%20blows%20two%20good%20chances%20to%20move%20forward%20on%20Marijuana.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://420intel.com/blog/texas-blows-two-good-chances-move-forward-marijuana",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://420intel.com/hubfs/Asset%2016.png"
    },
    "name" : "420 Intel"
  }
}
```