Not every pioneer holds a title or runs a company. Some do it by showing up. Karen Reeves, the founder of CenTex Community Outreach, has become a familiar face at Texas legislative hearings on THC and hemp, speaking as a patient. “Cannabis is helping me. It’s saved my life on numerous occasions,” she told KXXV, the Waco news station, after testifying before the Texas Senate against Senate Bill 3, the 2025 THC ban bill.
Texas Cannabis Advocacy Pioneers, part 4 of 5. Previous: Austin Zamhariri. Next: Shaun Salvaje. See the full series.
Why She Speaks
Reeves has told reporters that she uses THC and hemp products for pain, anxiety and depression, and that they have changed her life. For patients like her, a proposed ban is more than a policy argument. It is a question about whether a treatment they depend on will stay on the shelf, and she says lawmakers do not always see that. “Our legislators are unaware of what their constituents need,” she told KXXV, which is why she testified.
At the Capitol
KXXV reported that Reeves testified before the Texas Senate against SB 3 and said she would keep speaking up even after feeling discouraged: “If I don’t speak up, who will?” The Senate State Affairs Committee’s witness list for House Bill 46 in the 89th Legislature also lists Karen Reeves, representing herself and CenTex Community Outreach.
In August 2025, during the special session, she testified against House Bill 5, which would have re-criminalized hemp products. A profile of that testimony, transcribed with AI assistance by the site that published it, quotes her message: “We believe no one belongs in jail for a plant.” The same profile summarizes her argument that people choosing hemp as an alternative to pharmaceuticals should not be treated as criminals, that Texas’ compassionate use program has been too costly for many patients, and that the state needs “better regulation” and “compassion.” We have summarized those points as reported and have not checked them against the full video.
CenTex Community Outreach
Reeves is identified by KXXV as the founder of CenTex Community Outreach, a Central Texas group that, based on the witness list, she represents when she testifies. We found little else about the organization’s programs in public sources, which is typical of small community groups whose work happens at events, in conversations and at hearings rather than in press releases.
Why Patient Voices Matter
Hearings are where lawmakers hear who a bill will affect. A witness list shows who spoke for, against and on a bill, and everyday Texans who take a day off to testify change how members talk about it. Reeves’ example is a reminder that the process is open: you can register as a witness, submit written testimony, or contact your own representative and senator. Our 2027 session guide and the Texas Cannabis Action Center explain how, and our guides to chronic pain and the qualifying conditions list cover what the medical program offers patients today.
Public sources give her name as Karen Reeves, and we have not confirmed the middle initial. One third-party profile names her group “Syntax Community Outreach” and lists an unrelated pharmaceutical job title, which conflicts with the Texas Legislature’s witness list and KXXV’s report; we have relied on the latter two and left the other details out. KXXV’s story is undated, and we have not confirmed which Senate hearing it covers.
Clear answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Karen Reeves?
Karen Reeves, whose name is given as Karen C. Reeves in this series, is the founder of CenTex Community Outreach and a patient advocate who has testified at Texas legislative hearings on THC and hemp.
What bills has Karen Reeves testified on?
KXXV reported her Senate testimony against SB 3 in 2025. The Senate witness list for HB 46 names her, and a profile reports her August 2025 testimony against HB 5.
How can I testify at a Texas legislative hearing?
You can register as a witness at a committee hearing or submit written testimony. Our Texas cannabis 2027 legislature guide explains the steps.