A watered-down medical marijuana bill passed the Texas Senate this week, with the full knowledge that the Texas House and likely the Governor wouldn’t sign it into law anyway. KXAN reports:

House Bill 1535 grows the state’s medical marijuana program to include all Texans with cancer. People with debilitating medical conditions would also qualify, but the Senate removed part of a House provision that would have added all chronic pain patients. HB 1535 was amended in the House to include all forms of diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), rather than for veterans with PTSD as it was initially introduced.

The legislation was amended to raise the limit for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana — from 0.5% to 1% by weight.

I’m happy that all PTSD and cancer patients were included in the bill, even if it will never pass. I’m a true believer in medical marijuana. I know a little boy with epilepsy. He was born here in Texas and throughout his life had uncontrollable seizures. When Texas passed the first medical marijuana law to allow children with epilepsy some THC, his doctor wrote him a prescription, and he never had another seizure. It’s been something like three or four years since the last time this child had a seizure. It’s what religious folks would call a miracle.

Texas should include medical marijuana in the next legislative session and should allow patients with chronic pain access to a drug that will keep them off of opioids. It’s common sense. Too bad the Texas GOP has none.

I’m a chronic pain patient and I have “incurable” chronic pain, meaning two separate neurosurgeons, along with a team of physical therapists, my general physician and an orthopedic surgeon have all examined me and determined that I am beyond help. There is no cure for my problems until a bionic spine becomes available. I would LOVE to be free of opiates. I would LOVE to not have to take so much Ibuprofen that my doctor says it’s “when” not “if” my kidneys start to fail. That’s my choice, I can walk or sleep today, but my kidneys will fail in the future.

My last hope is that maybe THC will relieve my pain enough to back me off of the harsh opiates and ibuprofen. The Texas government is currently withholding that choice from me.