Texas Cannabis Policy Conference Held in College Station

Adult-use cannabis may not be legal in the state of Texas, but that isn’t stopping policymakers and physicians from attending the Texas Cannabis Policy Conference at the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The conference is back after a two-year hiatus. Hot topics are on the agenda for the nearly 200 industry leaders expected to attend the event.

The conference comes hot on the heels of a new poll released by the University of Texas and Texas Politics Project. The poll shows many Texans support less strict cannabis laws in Texas and support reduced punishments for marijuana possession. The goal of conference organizers is to “initiate fact-based dialogue about marijuana use and criminalization.” But it’s not the public they have to convince. It is conservative Texas lawmakers.

Texas Cannabis Policy Conference

The Texas Cannabis Policy Conference may seem out of place, considering recreational marijuana is not legal in Texas. Texas does have a medical marijuana program where doctors can prescribe low-THC cannabis to patients suffering from specific conditions. However, the program is limited. There are only three licensed medical marijuana dispensaries serving a state with over 268,820 square miles of territory. So why hold a cannabis conference hosting nearly 200 policymakers, patients, and marijuana advocates deep in the heart of the Lone Star state?

The organization hosting the event, Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, says it’s about sharing information, inspiring people to learn more about cannabis, and fostering vital industry connections that may benefit cannabis companies. Cannabis advocates hope the event can generate community buzz and influence state policymakers’ views before the legislative session starts in January.

Founding board member at Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, Heather Fazio, wants to use the conference to break down the significant issues at play in the marijuana industry and broaden access to policymakers who can influence marijuana reform at the state level. The conference is about education and innovation. It’s about getting industry leaders, the community, and lawmakers interested in cannabis topics that matter.

On the Docket

During the event, attorneys, cannabis industry leaders, doctors, researchers, veterans, and medicinal cannabis patients serve as speakers, gaining an essential platform from which to share their views and unique perspectives about innovative cannabis topics. Topics on the roster during the three-day event include:

Cannabis Consumer Education and Industry Responsibility
Litigation Affecting Cannabis Policy
Medical Cannabis: A Safer Alternative to Opioids
Federal Policy: Legislative and Administrative Prospects for Reform
Cannabis Research: Challenges and Opportunities
Texas Compassionate Use Program: Overview, Updates, and Opportunities for Improvement
Cannabis Testing, Recalls, and Accountability for Consumer Protection
Cannabis Regulation and Taxation: What Can Texas Learn from Other Jurisdictions

The conference lineup includes many other topics covering the cannabis industry’s security issues and processing and manufacturing elements. Conference topics are as numerous and varied as the industry itself, making it an exciting opportunity for cannabis enthusiasts to learn more about the industry and its future.

Hot Topics in Texas

Texas may not have an adult-use policy on the books yet, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t cannabis-related topics that apply to Texans right now. In addition to panels discussing how to change Texas marijuana laws, there are also breakout sessions to discuss the Texas Compassionate Use Program, the state’s medical marijuana program. Expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program has faced significant hurdles during previous Texas legislative sessions.

The program, first approved in 2015, got two upgrades in 2019 and 2021. These upgrades expanded the number of conditions that can qualify a patient for medical marijuana. Today, patients in Texas with epilepsy, seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, spasticity, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cancer, incurable neurodegenerative disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder can seek a doctor’s approval for medical marijuana.

Recent legislation to expand access to medicinal cannabis for those with chronic pain died in the Senate. In addition to limiting eligible conditions, current law also only allows patients access to low-THC marijuana. That is a THC dosage of 1 percent by weight. Another program with the Texas Compassionate Use program is that there are only three licensed medical dispensaries in the entire state, making it challenging for patients in small cities and rural locations to access medicinal marijuana.

The conference will intensely discuss topics such as lowering the significant licensing fees for dispensaries, getting more medical dispensaries licensed and running, and shifting medical marijuana policy in Texas.

But What About Hemp?

Another hot-button issue sure to get discussion time is the emergence of the unregulated hemp industry in Texas. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the production of hemp in the United States. Today, states have seen an explosion in the number of hemp-based products on the market, especially in areas without recreational cannabis markets, like Texas. Polls show cannabis is popular in the U.S. Without a legalized, regulated market. No wonder hemp businesses have filled the void, creating a popular, albeit unregulated, industry unto itself. In Texas, .3 percent is the maximum concentration of THC allowed in hemp flower and hemp products. However, being an unregulated marketplace, you have no idea what you may be getting, depending on the retailer.

Conference attendees will likely discuss age restrictions on hemp products, packaging requirements, better testing for safer products, and enforcing hemp regulations already in place. They may also discuss what other states are doing that works for them and how Texas can implement some of those practices within its own borders.

One of the most vital topics sure to be discussed will be how to engage lawmakers in meaningful dialogue about cannabis reform. Cannabis reform is not going away. Twenty-four states, plus the District of Columbia, have adult-use cannabis policies. Other states are significantly expanding their medical marijuana industry and considering adopting recreational statutes as well as decriminalizing marijuana. Texas finds itself behind the times and on the wrong side of public option when it comes to marijuana policy. The return of the Texas Cannabis Policy Conference may be the event people need to reinvigorate the Texas cannabis reform movement.

Texas Cannabis Policy Conference Held in College Station