Texas residents finally have legal access to medical marijuana products through a qualified physician’s prescription. This is great news for patients suffering from various qualifying conditions, and it is all thanks to the Compassionate Use Program (CUP) administered by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) under the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 487.
The CUP operates a secure online registry of qualified physicians who can prescribe low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to patients with qualifying medical conditions. The registry is known as the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT). It is designed to prevent more than one qualified physician from registering as the prescriber for a single patient, and it allows the qualified physician to input safety and efficacy data derived from the treatment of their patients.
To legally qualify for a Texas MMJ prescription, patients must be permanent Texas residents and have one of the qualifying conditions, which include epilepsy, seizure disorder, multiple sclerosis, spasticity, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, autism, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and an incurable neurodegenerative disease. HB 1535 expanded the Compassionate-Use Program to patients with all forms of cancer and patients with PTSD and raised the maximum level of THC from 0.5% to 1%.
Low-THC products come from the plant Cannabis Sativa L (more commonly referred to as marijuana). All parts of the plant and any resulting compounds, salts, resins, oils, and derivatives containing no more than 0.5 % by THC weight are considered Low-THC. Medical use of these products is limited to swallowing, not smoking, the prescribed dose of low-THC.
The physician will enter a prescription in the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT). The patient or legal guardian will need to provide ID and patient’s last name, date of birth, and last five digits of their Social Security Number. After, the patient or legal guardian can order from any licensed dispensary to get the prescription filled.
It is important to note that there is no age limit for prescriptions. Patients under 18 may need a legal guardian.
In conclusion, Texas residents finally have legal access to medical marijuana products through a qualified physician’s prescription thanks to the Compassionate Use Program (CUP) administered by the Department of Public Safety (DPS). The process of getting a medical marijuana prescription is quite simple as long as you are a Texas resident who has been diagnosed with one of the qualifying conditions.
