The United States has made significant progress in cannabis reform over the past decade. Although federal prohibition remains in effect, medical cannabis is legal in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Texas passed the Texas Compassionate-Use Act in 2015. This law allows low-THC cannabis to be used by Texans with certain medical conditions. This law was amended by the state in 2019 and 2021. It now allows for more qualifying medical disorders such as PTSD. Although millions of Texans are eligible under the current law, only a fraction is enrolled in the Compassionate Use Program. It is crucial to understand Texas’s unique low-THC medical cannabis program to connect patients with medical cannabis treatments safely.
What Are The Requirements For A Texas Medical Marijuana Card?
According to Texas’ Compassionate Use Act, patients with any of the listed conditions could be eligible for medical marijuana Texas.
These are the qualifying conditions
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Epilepsy
- Seizure disorders
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Spasticity
- Cerebral palsy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Cancer
- Autism
What Can Cannabis Do For People With Certain Medical Conditions?
Pain relief is the most common reason that doctors in Texas and the United States issue medical marijuana cards. Although chronic pain is not considered a qualifying condition, many conditions can be linked to chronic pain. While cannabis can’t treat severe pain from a broken bone but it can help with chronic pain so patients can experience a better quality of life.
Medical cannabis is far less likely to become addictive than opioids, and there are virtually no associations with overdose. Patients who may benefit from taking NSAIDs such as ibuprofen for pain management might not be able to take over-the-counter pain relievers due to kidney disease or other digestive issues. These patients may be offered a safer alternative by Texas, which offers a medical cannabis card.
Multiple sclerosis, nerve pain, and other conditions are treated with medical cannabis. Patients who use medical cannabis to treat nerve pain reported lower pain levels and no side effects. Patients who use medical marijuana to treat Parkinson’s disease report less muscle pain and tremors. Chronic pain is often incurable. These conditions cannot be managed symptomatically. Many eligible Texans are looking for a natural, alternative approach to pain management and medical marijuana is an appealing option.
Who Is Authorized To Issue A Texas Medical Marijuana Card?
Only doctors who are licensed to prescribe cannabis to patients can legally do so. This mandate is part of the state’s Compassionate Use Act.
Once a patient has been approved for a Texas medical marijuana card, the prescribing doctor can register them for CURT. Compassionate Use Registry of Texas is CURT. Before they can get prescriptions for legal medical cannabis, patients must first be registered with CURT.
How To Qualify For Medical Cannabis?
Qualifying in Texas for medical cannabis requires some basic steps:
- Patient must be Texas resident.
- A qualifying condition must be shown to obtain a Texas medical marijuana card.
- A prescription must be written by a licensed physician to allow the patient to use medical marijuana.
A patient may be asked to provide a reference for another provider if their current doctor is not licensed. Alternatively, Texans may quickly confirm their eligibility online and make an appointment with a Texas Doctors-registered doctor. Once the patient has been registered with CURT, and their prescription is valid, they can order their desired medical marijuana products online or over the phone at any Texas dispensary. They can also have them delivered directly to their home.
