In the aftermath of the Texas Senate’s failure to advance two hoped-for cannabis bills during the recently concluded 88^th legislative session, cannabis companies in the state have no choice but to put their hopes in future legislatures more amenable to helping the medical market advance in a way that helps patients as well as the state. The 89^th legislative session will begin Jan. 14, 2025, and run until June 2, 2025, leaving two years for Texans to get their weed act together.

It’s not like there wasn’t a concerted and bipartisan effort to reasonably support the state’s medical cannabis market this go-round. House Bill 1805, which would have expanded cannabis coverage to patients with chronic pain, and House Bill 218, which would have decriminalized cannabis possession in lieu of fines, were serious contenders until the very end, even with the knowledge that powerful opponents of cannabis (i.e., Lt. Governor Dan Patrick) still held sway.

As Texas Original CEO Nico Richardson told Cannabis Business Executive late last month, “I think [HB 1805 is] a great piece of legislation, and I think there’s a lot of support for it from the community and from patients across Texas. So, I’m hopeful that it will go through the Senate. But this is Texas, and you never know, so we’re just continuing to do the work here.” HB 1805, by the way, was sponsored by conservative Republican and registered nurse, Stephanie Klick.

Alas, neither bill had a snowball’s chance in Texas of making it to the governor’s desk, according to the editorial board of the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, which opined this weekend that Patrick is in fact the sole person to blame for the failure to make any progress on medical cannabis and the issues that surround it.

“The House, which has voted in three straight legislative sessions to reduce criminal penalties, reflects bipartisan public sentiment,” wrote the Star-Telegram editorial board. “The Senate reflects the iron hand of one state official: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. These bills, like others before them, never got as much as a single committee hearing in Patrick’s Senate. It’s uncertain whether a majority of senators oppose them. There’s just not much room to buck the three-term lieutenant governor, especially among his fellow Republicans.”

Patrick’s current term in office ends January 19, 2027, which means he will presumably still have a say during the next session at least, but cannabis companies that issued statements in response to the failure to advance legislation this year expressed not just their disappointment but their determination to continue serving the needs of cannabis patients throughout the state.

“While we are ultimately disappointed in the Texas Senate’s failure to take action to decriminalize cannabis and expand the state’s medical cannabis program, we commend Texas Rep. Joe Moody, Rep. Stephanie Klick and their respective authors and cosponsors of House Bill 218 and House Bill 1805 for their continued work to enact meaningful legislation on cannabis reform,” said Kristopher Kem, FLUENT Cannabis Care Texas President.

“As of October of last year, Texas ranked number one in the U.S. for most cannabis possession arrests. For decades, cannabis prohibition has funneled thousands of Texans into the criminal justice system. With more than 80 percent of Texans supporting the decriminalization of cannabis and the legalization of medical cannabis in the state, we must continue to call on our elected leaders to act on the will of their constituents and right the wrongs of the past.

“At FLUENT, we believe in broadening access to medical cannabis. We are currently expanding our delivery capabilities to support patient populations in Houston and Austin, because we believe that Texans – and all Americans – deserve access to safe, tested medical cannabis.

“While we’re disappointed in this legislative outcome, we’re here to support the people of Texas and look forward to growing our operations and presence in the state.”

Texas Original CEO Nico Richardson also commented: “We are extremely disappointed that HB 1805, a Republican-led bill with overwhelming bipartisan support, missed a critical deadline due to inaction and is now unlikely to be signed into law when the legislative session closes on May 29. This commonsense legislation would have expanded access to medical cannabis, reaching thousands of Texans with chronic pain who have been denied access to a proven and well-regulated treatment option. These patients will now have to rely on harmful and addictive opioids to manage their condition.

“In addition, the rampant proliferation of unregulated delta 8 products went unaddressed this session, leaving parents, patients, law enforcement, and school staff in the dark on how to address hemp-derived THC products that can be purchased over the counter with no age minimum.

“We would like to thank Representative Klick and the many Texans who have used their voices to advocate for improved access to medical cannabis. We remain committed to advancing safe, legal access to this powerful medicine, and look forward to continuing to work with legislators and the Texas Department of Public Safety to lessen regulatory burdens that create unnecessary roadblocks for Texans to receive treatment.”