By officially expanding its medical marijuana program, Texas has made a big legal change that will change how people can get cannabis in the state. On June 22, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 46 into law. This bill will let more people use the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP). With this change, Texas is now the 40th state to legally allow medical marijuana in a serious way. Fans of cannabis are hailing this decision as a victory. It also brings the state’s medical marijuana policy more in line with the national trend of making weed more legal.
The bigger program will give people in Texas access to more medical marijuana products and make the list of illnesses that qualify for them longer. Many people were looking forward to this change because the old program had problems that made it hard for thousands of potential patients to get care.
Expanded Access for Texas Patients
One of the most important changes to the new law is that the list of illnesses that qualify has been made longer. Under the new law, people with inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) will be able to get medical cannabis care. The program will also cover end-of-life patients in hospice or palliative care. This will make it more open to people with a wider range of serious health problems.
Before the new rule was passed, the TCUP only helped people with eight specific conditions. This made the program’s reach much smaller. These new conditions show that people are learning more about how medical cannabis can help with a wide range of long-term and painful illnesses.
On Saturday, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a medical cannabis expansion bill (HB 46) into law, making Texas the 40th state with a comprehensive medical cannabis program! pic.twitter.com/qQ9yXJbjqB— Marijuana Policy Project (@MarijuanaPolicy) June 22, 2025
New Products and Treatment Options
Patients can also get a bigger range of cannabis products now that the law has changed. In the past, the TCUP only let people buy certain kinds of cannabis goods, mostly non-smokable types with less than 0.5% THC. Medical marijuana patches, topicals, suppositories, and other ways to give the drug, like inhalers, nebulizers, and vaping devices, are now part of the expanded program. With more choices, doctors can make treatments fit the needs of each patient, making it easier for them to get effective therapeutic solutions.
By offering a wider range of products, the Texas program hopes to give people who might benefit from different ways of administration more choices. Topical and patch options, for example, can help people who can’t or won’t smoke or eat cannabis.
Increased Number of Licensed Providers
One important part of the law is that it allows more approved medical cannabis businesses to open. Before the bill was passed, Texas only had three owners with licenses. With the new law, the state will give out 15 times as many licenses, which will let more businesses join the market. These providers will also be able to run satellite sites, which will make it easier for patients who may have had trouble finding nearby dispensaries to get medical marijuana.
The state’s growing need for medical cannabis should be met by the addition of more licensed providers. This is especially true as the list of qualifying conditions and treatment choices keeps growing. In addition, it makes it easier for companies to get into the medical marijuana business, which could help Texas’s economy grow.
Legislative Journey and Public Support
The process of making Texas’ medical cannabis program bigger took a long time. The bill was changed many times before it was put into law. The Texas House of Representatives first passed House Bill 46 in May 2025. Soon after, the Texas Senate passed a version with some changes. After a conference group was set up to work out the differences between the two versions, the final bill was passed by both houses early in June.
The Marijuana Policy Project and the Texas weed Policy Center, two groups that want to change weed laws, have given their full support to the bill. The new rule was made because most people support medical cannabis, which has been shown to help people with chronic pain and other serious conditions. Lauren Daly, interim executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, emphasized this point.
Heather Fazio, executive director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, said that this increase is a big step forward for patients who need cannabis-based therapies after years of having limited access.
