Texas Psychedelics Research Bill Continues To Advance, Passes Senate Together With Cannabis Concentrates Measure

A psychedelics-related bill and a cannabis-focused measure were both given the green light by the Texas Senate this Saturday and Friday, respectively reported Marijuana Moment. 

Psychedelics Research Bill 

House bill 1802 to research the therapeutic effects of psilocybin and MDMA was first presented in February by Texas state Rep. Alex Dominguez (D). The initiative requires the Department of State Health Services and Texas Medical Board to study psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other health conditions. 

Research would be conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine and “a military veterans hospital or a medical center that provides medical care to veterans,” as the bill was amended by a House committee to place a special focus on veterans with PTSD. 

The bill was approved in the House earlier this month and last Wednesday it also passed Senate Veteran Affairs and Border Security Committee in a 5-0 vote.

Instead of hitting Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, both bills must go back to their initial chamber because they were amended by senators, noted the outlet. 

A balanced budget amendment to the bill, which the Senate approved, states that psychedelic research cannot be conducted if there is no funding to support it. 

Cannabis-Related Measure 

The cannabis-related measure that was approved by the Texas Senate would make possession of up to two ounces of concentrates a class B misdemeanor. As a class B misdemeanor, the offense is still subject to the threat of jail time but is much less serious than the felony classification, which such an offense normally warranted. 

An amendment to this bill added by senators asks that when calculating THC potency in legal hemp products all forms of tetrahydrocannabinol must be included. 

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