AUSTIN, TX (KLTV) -
From the office of Senator Kevin Eltife
Senator Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, and Representative Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, filed a bill Friday to legalize the use of medical marijuana to treat epilepsy.
Dubbed the Texas Compassionate Use Act, the measure would expand treatment options for people with intractable epilepsy.
Intractable epilepsy afflicts an estimated 149,000 people in Texas. Patients with intractable epilepsy can suffer hundreds of severe seizures each week. These individuals are at a higher risk for a shortened life span, excessive bodily injury, neurophyscological and mental health impairment, and social disability.
Senate Bill 339 and House Bill 892 will regulate the growth and dispensation of cannabidiol (CBD) oil, an oil extracted from the cannabis plant. Patients with intractable epilepsy have seen dramatic reductions in seizures through the use of CBD oil without exhibiting adverse reactions.
As filed, these bills require this oil to not contain more than 0.5 percent tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) and not less than 10 percent CBD by weight. This level of THC, the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant, is not sufficient to get the consumer 'high,' even in large doses. Leading epileptologists and neurologists from across Texas support these bills.
"Our legislation is focused on the patients, who are mostly children, who deal with these horrible seizures on a daily basis. As a parent, I can't imagine knowing there is a safe treatment for my severely sick child but not being able to access that treatment," Eltife said.
Klick said, "As a nurse, I have witnessed the devastating effects of seizure disorders, not just on the diagnosed patients, but on their families as well. Having researched the studies and talked with epilepsy experts regarding CBD oil and its effect on those with intractable epilepsy, I am convinced that the legislature must act to make CBD oil treatments available for these Texans."
Eltife and Klick said they look forward to working with legislative colleagues to advance the legislation and bring relief to thousands of families across the state.
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Texas lawmakers file bill for medical marijuana to treat epilepsy