The laws and regulations behind medical cannabis in Texas.

Marijuana Laws in Texas are ever-evolving. 

Texas has been known for having a firm stance on cannabis being illegal for recreational use. However, recent legislation has opened up access to medicinal cannabis Texas products in the state for millions of more Texans. The Texas Compassionate Use Program (CUP) helps patients with debilitating medical conditions by authorizing the Texas Department of Public Safety to license limited numbers of dispensing organizations to grow, process, and dispense low-THC cannabis for eligible patients.

The Texas Compassionate Use Act, first signed in 2015, allowed low-THC medical cannabis to be a practical treatment for only intractable epilepsy. The passage of this law marked a considerable shift in the state’s stance towards medical cannabis.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 1525 into law in 2019, which significantly expanded the list of qualifying conditions permitted under the CUP. On September 1st, 2021, HB 1535 increased the permitted THC concentration and added all forms of cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the qualifying conditions list.

To give eligible patients access to treatment, two dispensary facilities were authorized and licensed in the state.

For Texans, the definition of “dispensary” is different from what they’re used to seeing in other places. Typically, the dispensary is a storefront where patients can walk in with their prescriptions and buy products. That is not the case in Texas. State law requires that the dispensary grow the marijuana, extract the marijuana, process it, manufacture a final product, and store it all under one roof.

The Texas dispensaries are not allowed to prescribe medical marijuana, and the medical doctors authorized to prescribe it cannot sell it, creating an arms-length relationship between the dispensaries and medical professionals. State law requires that both parties work together to serve the patient, with the physician providing the consultation and prescription and the dispensary filling it with a final product grown and manufactured in their facility.

It’s Only Produced in One Place. Thankfully, We Can Help

The two dispensaries in Texas are located in the Austin metro area yet must serve the entire state. As a result, new patients face navigating the complexity of the constantly-evolving laws while trying to figure out how to get access to their medicine from all over the state. 

Thrive Apothecary and Thrive Medical Cannabis are positioned to do what no other cannabis business in the entire state can currently do by providing access to all forms of legal cannabis available in Texas. Despite the potential logistical issues with getting access to Texas medicinal cannabis, the Thrive family of companies has been helping Texans get to access it from all over the state. Thrive Apothecary can provide patients with traditional CBD products and new hemp-derived THC derivatives like Delta-8 and compliant Delta-9 without a prescription. 

For those customers who need prescription-strength medicine, clinicians at Thrive Medical Cannabis are authorized to prescribe medical marijuana to any eligible patient in the State of Texas through online virtual video appointments. On top of that, for local Dallas-Fort Worth customers, the Texas Original dispensary has named Thrive Apothecary the official pick-up location for medical marijuana products for DFW. That means that local patients are not required to pay the delivery fee associated with a licensed DPS courier bringing their product from Austin to their home. Instead, they can conveniently pop in our store and pick up their products for free.

We have made the process simple and convenient. You can qualify from the privacy of your own home anywhere in Texas by a video call without ever having to leave. In addition, we have made the process completely risk-free. 

If you aren’t sure if your diagnosis is eligible for treatment with medical cannabis, you can request a call back for our FREE eligibility consultation. Our knowledgeable staff will help you get the support you need.