The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met for a hearing on THC’s impact on health care costs and mental health. Texas Cannabis Policy Center attended the hearing and the tone leaned toward restriction rather than regulation. Senator Charles Perry confirmed he intends to once again file legislation banning consumable hemp-derived THC products. Perry implied regulation has failed and he feels an outright ban is the only path forward.
Only invited testimony was heard, however several industry leaders and advocates were present at the hearing. Senator Molly Cook, a member of the HHS Committee, commented:
“I think one of the most important things that we could do to save our state money and have a positive public health impact would be to end prosecutions for low-level THC possession crimes. There are estimates that it could save us hundreds of millions of dollars, and in the same way that a chemical substance affects a mind, so does incarceration.”
We appreciate Molly Cook’s leadership in going on the record about the importance of penalty reduction for cannabis possession in Texas as well as the serious mental health impacts created by an arrest.