“On Thursday, Representative Jason Isaac got a text from one his constituents that moved him to tears.
‘Catherine had 32 seizures yesterday,’ wrote Terri Carriker of her 15-year-old daughter, who has severe epilepsy. ‘She took an extra 1500 mgs of one med and 20 of Valium on top of her regular meds.’ Carriker included a photo of Catherine curled up on a couch, asleep. ‘This is the effect of that today.’
Terri says Catherine tried medical marijuana and it reduced the number of seizures she suffers from an average of 8 to 10 a day to none or two. It also has none of the debilitating side-effects of the powerful drugs she takes to control her epilepsy.
“I’m crying again,” the Dripping Springs Republican texted back.
This week, Carriker came to the Texas Capitol to testify in favor of House Bill 2107, co-authored by Isaac, to allow the use of cannabis by patients with severe medical conditions, at the recommendation of their doctor. Families, patients and advocates flooded the Committee hearing to support the bill, sharing personal stories of eased suffering from cancer, PTSD, epilepsy, autism and cerebral palsy when pharmaceuticals failed. Of about 70 people who testified, one was against the bill.
The number of sponsors jumped from six to 76 in the two days after the hearing, including 29 Republicans. The Public Health Committee has now passed the bill onto the Calendar Committee and the TX House has until May 11 to consider the legislation.
The bill’s momentum so far is itself considered a notable achievement by supporters, who acknowledge that the word “marijuana” scares off conservative lawmakers who worry constituents will think they support legalizing the drug for recreational use.
#MMJ #TXpol #UTpol #GetSerious #TRUCE
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See full article – Medical Marijuana Bill Moves Forward After More than Half of the Texas House Signs on
