One of the challenges for patients in the Lone Star State is the ever-changing legal issues around the use of medical marijuana. As with all states, Texas sets the laws for the use of THC for medical purposes within the state and independent of what is legal on a federal level or in other states.
Currently in Houston, as in the rest of Texas, the use of medical marijuana has been legal since 2015 when Governor Abbott signed the Compassionate Use Act. However, that Act was limited to only a few recognized conditions, and patients with cancer, PTSD, and other conditions were not able to receive a prescription for medical THC until 2021.
The Program
Patients in Houston receive a prescription for THC products from a medical marijuana doctor. This prescription is electronically provided to the approved dispensaries in the state. The dispensaries have limited locations in the state, but they are able to deliver prescription medical marijuana to patients throughout the state.
The state only allows prescriptions for low-THC cannabis products. These products must have no more than 0.5% THC. This is true for any products offered through dispensaries, including oils, resins, and other forms of medical marijuana. Medical marijuana doctors in the state will provide patients with options to consider at the time of the medical marijuana appointment.
In Texas, prescriptions are only available for qualifying patients in a form that can be swallowed. In other words, cannabis flower is not prescribed for medical use, and neither are products for vaping or dabbing.
