The Texas House of Representatives gave final passage on Thursday to a pair of bills designed to ensure speedy access to psychedelic-assisted therapy in the event of federal approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
One bill—HB 4014, from Rep. John Bucy III (D)—would establish a state-backed study into the use of psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine to treat conditions such as PTSD and depression. House lawmakers passed it on a 115–31 vote on third reading.
Bucy, speaking before the vote on the House Bill 4014, said that the Texas Health and Human Service Commission is directed to carry out a comprehensive and prompt study of the use psychedelic treatments for certain medical conditions.
The bill would take effect September 1 of this year and expire September 1, 2027.
The body later unanimously approved another measure—HB 4813, from Rep. Tom Oliverson (R)—that aims to minimize delay at the state level if and when FDA approves a new drug, such as psilocybin or MDMA. This would mandate that substances reclassified as illegal under federal law are similarly controlled by state law, “as quickly as possible.”
Oliverson, on the floor of the house before the vote said that this bill will “encourage our Texas Veterans to have access to innovative, new therapies for treating PTSD”.
He added, “I hope that you will stand by me and with other Texas Veterans.”
The proposal passed unanimously, 146–0.
In the case of the study bill and its second reading, House legislators had a changed the text to say that the State would be working on the project with Baylor College of Medicine and University of Texas at Austin Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy. This language was removed by a committee last month.
Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R), who introduced the amendment, said the schools “are leading institutions in the field of psychedelic medicine and research and are well equipped to complete this study.”
He noted that the amendment was requested by the Health and Human Services Commission and “will reduce the costs or fiscal note for this bill more than 50%.”
Oliverson noted in previous comments made at a committee meeting that both psilocybin (and MDMA) are in Phase 3 trials and “are likely to receive FDA approval any day.”
He said, “All that we are trying to do is amend the statute in order to speed up this process with these compounds which have shown themselves to be highly effective under these conditions.”
Oliverson, an anesthesiologist at the time, said that the aim was to “avoid a unnecessary, long delay” in Texas’ access to psychedelic therapy in the case the federal government approved them.
As a physician, I just want to tell you that my own personal opinion is, I think people should have the opportunity to get drugs that actually work. I also want to make sure they have it available as soon as I can.
Lynnette Averill was also a Baylor College of Medicine Professor and Director of Research at Menninger Clinic. She testified in favor of the measure during the previous hearing.
Averill said the proposal would build on a measure passed in Texas in 2021 to study psychedelics as a possible treatment for veterans with PTSD, which she said helped make the state “a pioneer in this space.”
Meanwhile last week, a Texas House committee approved a Senate-passed bill that would prohibit cities from putting any citizen initiative on local ballots that would decriminalize marijuana or other controlled substances—as several localities have already done despite lawsuits from the state attorney general.
According to the proposed amendments, the state law will be changed so that local authorities “may not put an item on the ballot that provides that they local entity won’t fully enforce state drug laws, such as a charter, or amending a charter, which would require that the local authority” does not.
While several courts have previously upheld local cannabis decriminalization laws, an appellate court comprised of three conservative justices appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has recently pushed back against two of those rulings, siding with the state in its legal challenge to the marijuana policy in Austin and San Marcos.
Meanwhile, despite the ongoing litigation and advancement of the House and Senate bills, Texas activists have their targets set on yet another city, Kyle, where they hope put an initiative before voters to enact local marijuana reform at the ballot this coming November.
Also last month, a House panel approved legislation that would to tighten regulations on intoxicating hemp products—a plan at odds with proposals from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), and the Senate are in favor of a complete ban on THC-containing products.
Advocates and stakeholders have said a ban would effectively eradicate the state’s hemp industry by prohibiting consumable products derived from the plant that contain any amount of THC.
That and another measure from Rep. Joe Moody (D) to decriminalize cannabis statewide are among nearly two dozen cannabis-related proposals filed in Texas for the current legislative session. Other proposals include measures to legalize marijuana for adults, eliminate criminal penalties associated with cannabis possession, adjust existing medical marijuana law in Texas, etc.
Moody sponsored a similar marijuana decriminalization bill last legislative session, in 2023. That measure, HB 218, passed the House on an 87–59 vote but later died in a Senate committee.
The House had already passed earlier cannabis decriminalization proposals during the two previous legislative sessions, in 2021 and 2019. But the efforts have consistently stalled in the Senate amid opposition from the lieutenant governor.
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