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A Texas state lawmaker this week filed a bill to legalize cannabis for adults and establish a regulated market for the production and sale of recreational marijuana. Democratic state Rep. Jessica González submitted the legislation for the 2025 legislative that begins in January, online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment reported on Wednesday.
The legislation (HB 1208) would legalize, regulate and tax cannabis in Texas. The measure would allow adults aged 21 and over to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, including up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates. Adults would also be able to possess up to 10 ounces of weed at home, although any quantity above 2.5 ounces would be required to be stored in a secure location.
The 28-page bill also sets the stage for the regulated production, processing, distribution and sale of recreational cannabis. The cannabis industry would be regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which would be tasked with licensing businesses to cultivate, process, test, distribute and sell marijuana in the state. Businesses would be required to be licensed by the state and retail cannabis products would be assessed a 10% tax.
Additional Weed Bills Also Filed
In addition to González’s bill, Texas lawmakers have already filed several other bills related to cannabis policy reform, only one day into the period to pre-file legislation for next year. Under state law, Texas legislators meet every two years.
Heather Fazio of the group Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy said that 2025 is “likely to be a very consequential legislative session.”
“Our state’s cannabis laws are complicated and ineffective,” Fazio told Marijuana Moment. “Thankfully lawmakers are taking the issue seriously and filing bills as soon as possible to get the process started.”
Democratic Rep. Penny Morales Shaw is the sponsor of HB 1146, which would expand access to the state’s low-THC medical marijuana program. Under the bill, patients with “a condition that causes chronic pain, for which a physician would otherwise prescribe an opioid” would be eligible for the program. The bill also opens eligibility to patients diagnosed with “a debilitating medical condition” as defined by the Department of State Health Services. Additionally, the health department would be given the authority to adopt rules that add new qualifying conditions to the state’s limited medical cannabis program.
HB 848 from Democratic Rep. Joe Moody would amend the Texas criminal code related to the possession and distribution of cannabis to include “marihuana concentrate.” And a joint resolution (HJR 70) from Democratic Rep. Ron Reynolds calls for an amendment to the state’s constitution that would direct state lawmakers to “authorize and regulate the possession, cultivation, and sale of cannabis for medical use in this state.”
Texas Senate Cannabis Reform Bills
In the Texas Senate, SB 170 from Democratic Sen. José Menéndez would expand the state’s medical marijuana program to be more like those of other states that have legalized the medicinal use of cannabis. The legislation would replace references to “low-THC cannabis” with the term “medical cannabis” and set new rules for the testing, labeling and packaging of medical cannabis products, among other changes. A separate measure from Democratic Sen. Carol Alvarado (SB 259) would also expand the state’s current medical cannabis program.
In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives passed several bills to reform the state’s cannabis policy, including a measure to decriminalize marijuana for adults. The state Senate, however, declined to advance the legislation.
“}]] Texas lawmakers have filed several cannabis policy reform bills for the 2025 legislative session, including a bill that would legalize and regulate marijuana for adults. Read More
