Although many places across the United States have fully legalized soft drugs like cannabis, Texas is not one of them. While the state has undoubtedly made some progress in eliminating harsh drug laws in recent years, it still lags behind many others.
With that said, it may be difficult to remember the proposals and changes that you hear about in the news. What is legal? Are there limits? What can lead to a drug arrest? If these are questions you have, this article can help. Read on to learn three things you should know about changes to soft drug laws in Texas.
1. Limited medicinal use is legal
Ever since 2015, limited medicinal use has been legal in the state of Texas, and in 2021, Governor Abbot signed a bill to expand the program. For those who rely on cannabis for pain relief and other medical purposes, this provides some legal protections at the state level.
2. Soft drugs like cannabis are still illegal for recreational use in Texas
While Texas permits some medicinal use, but the same is not true for recreational use. If a police officer catches you with cannabis, he or she may try to further search and/or arrest you. As such, you should never assume legal medicinal use means leniency for other uses.
3. Drug potency impacts legality
Even with medicinal cannabis, there are potency limits. In Texas, registered patients may possess and consume cannabis with up to 0.5% tetrahydrocannabinol in it. Starting September 1 this year, the THC cap will increase to 1%, but anything over that remains illegal.
By keeping up with all of these changes, you can make sure to avoid any unnecessary legal trouble that may come with accidentally breaking outdated soft drug policies than linger in Texas.
