Five stories that have North Texas talking: Texas issues first medical marijuana license; Dallas almost removes one Confederate statue; Texans in the U.S. House will meet on Harvey; and more.
Texas has issued its first medical marijuana license, and two more companies are expected to be awarded licenses soon.
Cansortium Texas, which is a part of Florida-based Cansortium Holdings, received a license Friday, the Austin American-Statesman reports. The company will be allowed to grow, process and sell medical marijuana for patients with a rare form of epilepsy.
The state Department of Public Safety is reviewing applications from Compassionate Cultivation and Surterra Texas.
Compassionate Cultivation published this statement on its website Wednesday.:
"Texas continues to make history as the Compassionate Use Act is coming online. We're very grateful to Representative Stephanie Klick, the Texas legislature, Governor Abbott and the DPS for steering this program to fruition, and are proud to say we're in the final stages of pursuing our license. We will have an announcement soon regarding our licensure and the specific timing that we can provide medicine to those suffering from intractable epilepsy."
Licenses are being issued under the Texas Compassionate Use Act, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in 2015, legalizing the production and sale of cannabidoil. The law only allows patients with intractable epilepsy to use the oil, which doesn't produce a high. Also, patients must have a doctor's prescription and have already tried two conventional drug treatments that weren't effective.
The companies were selected from more than 40 applicants in May and have undergone a series of facility inspections. The three companies will pay a fee of nearly $490,000 once they're approved, and they'll have to renew that license in two years for almost $320,000.
The companies face strict state regulations that restrict their customer base and how they formulate the products. [The Associated Press, Austin American-Statesman]
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- Dallas City Council voted 13-1 Wednesday to remove the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Oak Lawn’s Lee Park. Hours later, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting the removal. [KERA News]
- All 36 Texans in the U.S. House will gather for a rare, bipartisan meeting this week to discuss Congress' role in Hurricane Harvey's aftermath. [The Texas Tribune]
- Bumble, a dating app based in Austin, is working to combat racially charged harassment online, after white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Va., last month. [KUT]
- Fly from DFW to Iceland on the cheap beginning May 24. [The Dallas Morning News]
Say hello to our new partner, @wow_air! Starting May 2018, enjoy non-stop service between #DFW and Reykjavik, Iceland (#KEF). pic.twitter.com/5XeSDxrQ9q
— DFW Airport (@DFWAirport) September 6, 2017
The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.