At a Glance
- Texas law adds 12 cannabis licenses and 15,000 new patients
- West Texas rare-earth site could cut U.S. reliance on China
- Battleship Texas restoration aims for a 2027 reopening
Why it matters: These moves reshape Texas’s health, economy, and heritage.
AUSTIN (News Of Austin) – In a series of moves that touch medicine, minerals, and history, Texas lawmakers and local leaders are reshaping the state’s landscape. From expanding medical cannabis access to unlocking rare-earth resources and restoring a World War II battleship, the state is taking bold steps.
Texas Expands Medical Cannabis
House Bill 46, passed in the regular session, increased dispensing licenses by 12, broadened eligibility to chronic pain, and let dispensaries store product in satellite locations. Texas Department of Public Safety reports the Compassionate Use Registry grew by nearly 15,000 patients since the bill’s June passage. The department is also vetting 9 companies for new grow-and-sell licenses.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| New dispensing licenses | 12 |
| New patients added | 15,000 |
| Companies under review | 9 |
Nico Richardson, CEO of Texas Original, said the law aligns Texas with national medical-cannabis programs. His company moved its operations to a 75,000-sq-ft Bastrop facility where growing, extracting, manufacturing, and testing occur under one roof.
Nico Richardson explained:
> “We were confident with the size of Texas and where the rest of the country was in terms of having medical cannabis accessible to patients in need, that the Texas program was going to dramatically grow over time,”
Goodblend opened its first San Antonio retail shop in December after a failed pickup-only model. The prior system required patients to call days in advance, with the company transporting product from Austin to the pickup location. Because stores cannot keep product overnight, the system was inefficient.
Nick Fallon, Texas Market President for Goodblend, said:
> “Any patient that didn’t make it in – for whatever reason because life happens – we’d have to drive that back all the way at the end of the day,”
Nick Fallon added:
> “So there was just so much movement on the actual product.”
The new law now permits Goodblend and other companies to keep product in a secured vault at retail locations overnight, letting customers walk in without prior calls.
West Texas Rare-Earth Mining
A mountain southeast of El Paso, called Round Top, could provide the U.S. with a complete set of rare-earth minerals not under Chinese control. USA Rare Earth’s vice president, Alex Moyes, said the site contains heavy rare-earth elements like dysprosium and terbium. These minerals are critical for electronics, defense, and renewable energy technologies.
Alex Moyes said:
> “It’s very unique because we have a lot of the heavies,”
Alex Moyes added:
> “The ones we’re really chasing are the ones we call the heavy rare-earth elements. Dysprosium and Terbium are the two big ones,”
Dawn Buckingham, Land Commissioner, said:
> “We think this is the only and largest complete set of rare-earth minerals not under China’s control in the world. And these are important for our jets to fly. It’s national security. It’s everyday convenience. It’s taking away this economic play from China,”
Dawn Buckingham added:
> “I’d say that it’s worth it. Our energy independence, that elemental independence, being sure that our jets fly, that our missiles can fly, that our phones work, everything that we need to educate our children, it’s important to go and invest in America,”
Chinese leaders announced new export restrictions in October, but a temporary deal with President Trump delayed them for a year.
Pediatric Cancer Legislation
Mikaela Naylon, a 16-year-old osteosarcoma victim, died on Oct. 29 after a five-year battle. She had traveled to Washington, D.C., to champion the Give Kids a Chance Act, which aims to accelerate pediatric cancer treatments. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, sponsored the bill and met with Naylon in September.
Michael McCaul said:
> “I told her that her story would not be forgotten. Her legacy would continue to help thousands of other children. I wanted her to know that her impact would outlive all of us,”
The bill, renamed the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act, passed the House unanimously in early December. A Senate vote stalled before the holiday break, but supporters plan to push again in January.
Michael McCaul added:
> “We’re putting children on the same level as adults,”
Battleship Texas Restoration
The 111-year-old Battleship Texas, the only surviving ship that served in both World Wars, sits dry at the Galveston Gulf Copper shipyard. After years of exposure, the vessel has become leaky and listing, prompting extensive repairs. The foundation has been reinforcing the hull and sealing leaks since Aug 2022.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Foundation began repairs | Aug 2022 |
| Additional $7M approved | 2023 |
| Expected completion | Late 2026 |
| Planned reopening | 2027 |
Travis Davis, vice president of Ship Operations, said the goal is to make the ship as alive as possible for visitors. He emphasized that the restoration should let people feel what sailors once did.
Travis Davis said:
> “Our goal is to make the ship as alive as possible so it is immersive as possible so that when you step on the ship you feel like it was like what a sailor felt when he stepped on the ship,”
Travis Davis added:
> “We want the ship to be as alive as possible and to feel like it did to the greatest generation, the guys who served on the ship,”
With the additional funding, the project aims to finish the deck and other renovations by late 2026, then move the vessel to a Galveston wharf for public access.
Key Takeaways
- Texas’s new cannabis law adds 12 licenses and 15,000 patients.
- Round Top could supply the U.S. with rare-earth minerals vital for defense and tech.
- The Battleship Texas restoration is slated to reopen in 2027.
From cannabis to minerals to history, Texas is taking decisive steps that could reshape the state’s future.
