Texas Medical Cannabis Program Expanded 

Texas’s Compassionate Use Program for medical hashish is about turn out to be (just a bit) extra compassionate, with modifications signed into regulation by the state’s governor this week.

Texas handed the Compassionate-Use Act in 2015, which enabled the primary authorized use of low-THC hashish merchandise within the state.  This system has been very restrictive, solely permitting for using cannabidiol (CBD) preparations containing not more than 0.5% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Initially, the Compassionate-Use Program solely utilized to sufferers with intractable epilepsy.

However in 2019, HB 3703 got here into impact; increasing this system considerably to incorporate sufferers identified with seizure issues, MS spasticity, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, autism, terminal most cancers, or an incurable neurodegenerative illness.

On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott  signed off on House Bill 1535, increasing this system somewhat extra once more. HB 1535, which comes into impact from September, may also enable for sufferers with PTSD and all sorts of most cancers – not simply terminal – to qualify. Moreover, it additionally raises  THC threshold from 0.5 to 1 %.

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Whereas the Governor’s signature wasn’t accompanied by any fanfare, final week Governor Abbott signalled his help for the invoice, tweeting:

“Veterans may qualify for medical marijuana beneath new regulation. I’ll signal it.”

The invoice additionally covers the institution of compassionate-use institutional overview boards that can consider and approve proposed analysis packages to review the medical use of low-THC hashish.

HB 1535 had fairly an extended journey, having been filed in March of final yr.

Additional data on Texas’s Compassionate-Use Program, which hasn’t been up to date to bear in mind HB 1535 because it doesn’t come into impact till September, can be found here.

A database itemizing physicians who’re registered to prescribe low-THC hashish is available here. Physicians wishing to prescribe hashish should register with the state and have board certifications in a medical specialty related to the therapy of every affected person’s situation, or from an accepted specialty board.

Texas sufferers are required to buy low-THC hashish merchandise from a licensed shelling out group and smokable hashish shouldn’t be permitted beneath this system. Solely 3 shelling out organisations have been issued licenses within the Lone Star State – Fluent, Compassionate Cultivation and goodblend; all of which have held licenses since 2017.