Abbott signs bill allowing epilepsy patients to use oil derived from pot

Zachariah Moccia, right, who has dravet syndrome, celebrates after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, front left, signed SB 339, a bill allowing the medical use of low-THC cannabis, into law at the Texas Capitol, Monday, June 1, 2015, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less Zachariah Moccia, right, who has dravet syndrome, celebrates after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, front left, signed SB 339, a bill allowing the medical use of low-THC cannabis, into law at the Texas Capitol, Monday, ... more Photo: Eric Gay, Associated Press Photo: Eric Gay, Associated Press Image 1 of / 41 Caption Close Abbott signs bill allowing epilepsy patients to use oil derived from pot 1 / 41 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN -- Surrounded by Texans who suffer from serious seizures, Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation Monday to allow them and other patients to treat their conditions with oil derived from marijuana.

"A law that will help these children is now in effect," Abbott said, holding up the paper he had just signed, before turning to Zachariah Moccia, a 25-year-old San Antonio man with a rare genetic form of epilepsy, who had helped push the bill. "Congratulations."

The governor, who noted that 150,000 people in Texas suffer from intractable seizures, also showed off a purple necklace Moccia had given him -- representing the color of epilepsy awareness.

The passage of the narrow bill marked the first time that Texas had relaxed penalties for a pot-related substance, although Abbott emphasized his opposition to any broader medical marijuana legalization or decriminalization of the plant for recreational usage.

The legislation, Senate Bill 339, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, and Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, would include strict parameters that would only allow the usage of cannabidiol oil containing a very small amount of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and only when prescribed by a doctor, after more conventional methods have failed.

Families of epilepsy patients had pushed strongly for the legislation, although some said it was too strict to be very effective.

On Monday, they celebrated.

"History is being made in Austin today," said Sindi J. Rosales, CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas. "Gov. Abbott is signing legislation that will forever change the lives of Texans with intractable epilepsy. His support will surely save lives."

Moccia's mother, Leslie, called the ceremony "surreal," given the many hours she and others worked to get the bill passed.

She noted with pride that Abbott had held a signing ceremony for the bill, an event typically reserved for major legislation.

"He embraced it, allowing a couple of families to be there and the media," she said. "I'm so proud to be a Texan today. And we finally have some hope for our children."

Fourteen states have similar laws. Twenty-three states have broader medical marijuana laws, a version of which was rejected by Texas lawmakers this year.

The Legislature also turned away proposals to decriminalize marijuana this year.

Supporters of decriminalization said they hope the bill represented a first step toward more dramatic action.

"While this program leaves most patients behind and we're concerned about its functionality, today is one for the history books," said Heather Fazio, political director for the Texas chapter of the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project, in a news release. "The Texas Legislature is sending a resounding message: Marijuana is medicine."