TITLE: Urging Congress to amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude cannabidiol and cannabidiol-rich plants from the definition of "marijuana."

SUMMARY: Urging Congress to amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude cannabidiol and cannabidiol-rich plants from the definition of "marijuana."

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Cannabidiol and cannabidiol-rich plants (CRP) are recognized as important components in treatment for countless patients; however, these substances have been banned at the federal level by the Controlled Substances Act because they are included under the definition of "marijuana"; and WHEREAS, Cannabidiol is a substance derived from Cannabis sativa L., a CRP with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis; and WHEREAS, During the 84th Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 339, which allowed physicians to prescribe low-THC cannabis to patients diagnosed with intractable epilepsy, was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, who at the time emphasized that low-THC cannabis does not produce the high associated with smoking marijuana and that permitting the substance should not be viewed as a precursor to a broader legalization of marijuana; the bill, commonly known as the "Texas Compassionate Use Act," noted that the administration of cannabidiol by means other than smoking has been the only successful treatment of seizures for many patients with epilepsy; and WHEREAS, While marijuana is prohibited under the Controlled Substances Act, evidence suggests that using an extract of cannabidiol from CRPs is a remarkably safe option in providing relief for individuals afflicted by seizures caused by epilepsy; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude cannabidiol and cannabidiol-rich plants from the definition of "marijuana"; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the chief clerk of the house forward official copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.