Care Force: What is the status of cannabis for veterans in Texas?
AUSTIN, Texas - Now that the primary legislative session is over, what is the status of CBD and cannabinoid relief for veterans coping with post-traumatic stress?
More and more veterans are turning to hemp-related products to ease symptoms.
Mitch Fuller with the VFW joins FOX 7 Austin's Mike Warren to talk about the changes, or lack thereof, from the 88th Texas legislative regular session.
Mike Warren: You know, first of all, what is the VFW stance on this issue?
Mitch Fuller: Mike, It's our view in the VFW that we want all of our veteran brothers and sisters to have access to all alternatives of their choosing to take opioids, opioids. There's a crisis in this country, not just in the veterans' community, but all across the country and all segments of society. And cannabis is one route to that. And cannabis includes marijuana and hemp-derived products such as Delta eight and Delta nine gummies, for example. And so our view in the VFW is we want to ensure this session that access to hemp derived consumables remained legal.
Mike Warren: Now, let's get to the session. As far as what happened, what didn't happen related to this issue.
Mitch Fuller: Yes, Mike, there was a Senate bill and the House companion bill that would have made hemp-derived consumables illegal, and that was our top priority to ensure that did not happen and that did not happen. So we take that as a huge victory. Parallel to that was a bill to expand the Texas Compassionate Use program, which is Texas's medical marijuana program. We're grateful to the governor and the legislature for that program. We'd like to see that to expand even more. There was a bill that passed the House of Representatives that would have added chronic pain as a condition to be prescribed medical marijuana. That bill did pass the House. It did not get a hearing in the Senate.
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Mike Warren: Oh, Mitch. It would seem like there is a theme…options for veterans. Different things that they can turn to as far as treatment and coping.
Mitch Fuller: Mike, very much so. It's a theme. It's a priority. And as you know, as I said earlier, it's about access to alternatives. It's let me choose, you know, let my veteran brothers and sisters choose the alternative that works for them. And if it's the difference between taking a gummy, a Delta eight gummy, or seven or eight pills prescribed, you know, opioids prescribed and that gummy works. Let us continue to do that. We weren't asking for anything this session. We were asking to be able to keep something for this. And so you're right, it's very much a theme and it works. It's proven to work. And so we've got four or five years now where this has been legal in Texas, and it works.