TX SB170

Expands Texas's medical cannabis program by replacing "low-THC cannabis" (previously capped at 1% THC) with "medical cannabis" that has no THC limit, and changes physician requirements from prescriptions to recommendations based on the physician's professional judgment that a patient would likely benefit therapeutically

Establishes a new licensing structure with four types of medical cannabis organizations: cultivation, processing, dispensing, and independent testing organizations, with minimum license numbers distributed across 11 public health regions (ranging from 6 to 82 dispensing locations per region)

Creates a Medical Cannabis Research Program with an 11-member advisory board appointed by the governor to oversee research licenses for studying cannabis safety, efficacy, cultivation practices, and medical guidelines

Provides legal protections for patients, caregivers, and licensed organizations against arrest, prosecution, civil penalties, child custody challenges, and property forfeiture for authorized medical cannabis activities

Requires the Department of Public Safety to establish a medical cannabis inventory tracking system, adopt packaging and labeling requirements with cannabinoid potency information, and maintain the compassionate-use registry with rules to be adopted by December 31, 2025, and licenses issued by June 1, 2026