By Keel                                                H.B. No. 513
         77R3014 YDB-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the medical use of marihuana.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 481.121, Health and Safety Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
 1-6           (c)  It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this
 1-7     section that the person possessed marihuana as a patient of a
 1-8     licensed physician and pursuant to the recommendation of that
 1-9     physician for the amelioration of a bona fide medical condition.
1-10           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-11           (b)  The change in law made by Section 1 of this Act applies
1-12     only to an offense committed on or after September 1, 2001.  For
1-13     the purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
1-14     September 1, 2001, if any element of the offense occurs before that
1-15     date.
1-16           (c)  An offense committed before September 1, 2001, is
1-17     covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and
1-18     the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.