H.B. No. 1504 is a legislative bill designed to establish a comprehensive legal framework for the possession, use, cultivation, distribution, transportation, and delivery of medical cannabis for qualifying patients in Texas with specific debilitating medical conditions. The bill introduces new definitions such as "cannabis testing facility," "cardholder," and "designated caregiver," while amending existing definitions related to medical cannabis. It sets forth a licensing framework for dispensing organizations and cannabis testing facilities, and creates a compassionate-use registry to monitor patients and their medical cannabis usage. The bill also provides legal protections for individuals involved in the medical cannabis program, ensuring that cardholders and associated personnel are not subject to arrest or prosecution for authorized actions, and clarifies that medical cannabis use does not imply child abuse or neglect.

The bill further amends the Health and Safety Code to allow a broader range of medical practitioners to recommend medical cannabis, requiring them to provide written certification that affirms the diagnosis and potential therapeutic benefits. It repeals previous restrictions that limited recommendations to certain physicians and includes provisions for the registration of recommending practitioners in the compassionate-use registry. Additionally, the bill establishes rules for the maximum number of cannabis plants a patient may cultivate, allows for possession of medical cannabis exceeding standard amounts under certain conditions, and mandates an annual license fee for dispensing organizations. It also clarifies that municipalities cannot prohibit the cultivation or dispensing of medical cannabis and repeals sections related to low-THC cannabis to reflect the broader scope of medical cannabis.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Health and Safety Code 487.001, Chapter , Health and Safety Code 169.001, Health and Safety Code 487.052, Health and Safety Code 487.053, Health and Safety Code 487.054, Health and Safety Code 487.102, Health and Safety Code 487.103, Health and Safety Code 487.104, Health and Safety Code 487.107, Health and Safety Code 487.108, Health and Safety Code 487.151, Health and Safety Code 487.201, Occupations Code 169.001, Occupations Code 169.003, Family Code 161.001, Family Code 262.116, Health and Safety Code 443.202, Health and Safety Code 443.2025, Health and Safety Code 481.062, Health and Safety Code 481.111, Health and Safety Code 169.001, Occupations Code 551.004 (Occupations Code 551, Occupations Code 169, Chapter , Health and Safety Code 169, Health and Safety Code 487, Family Code 262, Health and Safety Code 481, Health and Safety Code 443, Family Code 161, Health and Safety Code 169)