A small amount of cannabis can be used daily to treat many conditions, including epilepsy, muscle spasms, PTSD, and side effects of cancer. Texas has legalized low doses of medical marijuana. However, you shouldn’t expect to be able to go to your local pharmacy and fill the prescription with insulin or blood pressure pills.
This guide will help you navigate the medical marijuana Texas system in five steps.
- Diagnosis
Although a physician may recommend cannabis for treating a patient’s symptoms it is not possible to prescribe tinctures, lozenges, or gummies containing THC.
A partner clinic staff will examine the patient’s medical records to determine if they are eligible for a prescription. A person suffering from diabetes may be eligible for treatment for foot pain due to neuropathy, or spasticity due to a prior prescription for muscle relaxants.
Many veterans in Texas had been diagnosed with PTSD by the time that the Compassionate Use Program was updated last fall. There was a figurative queue at the gates. This addition to the law is the primary reason for the recent spike in medical cannabis demand.
People suffering from schizophrenia, which can be made worse by cannabis, are not eligible. Women who are pregnant or nursing babies cannot get a prescription. This is because it’s not known what the effects of cannabis on unborn children could be. Breast milk contains about 40 percent THC.
- Register
A doctor who is a specialist in cannabis visits the patient to determine the best treatment. Then, the state registers the patient’s information. The condition may collect the data but federal privacy laws still protect it. Only authorized doctors and dispensary staff can view the details of their clients and patients. Both physicians and staff have been subject to background checks by DPS.
- Prescription
It is essential to establish a trusting relationship with a doctor who has extensive experience in medical cannabis. It’s not easy to ensure the correct dosage and form of medicine.
A child with epilepsy or a patient with anxiety from dementia may have very different needs than a young veteran of the military with PTSD and has had experience with cannabis.
These factors should be considered by experienced physicians to ensure that patients get the best medical benefits from the THC, without experiencing the high desire of recreational users. The THC content of recreational cannabis in legal states is much higher than that found in Texas, where it is limited to 1%.
The medical doses range from 1.25 mg to 5 mg taken orally one or two times per day. THC is generally ingested in approximately 7 mg, although each person’s body reacts differently to the compound.
- Pickup
After the patient has been registered and seen by a doctor, the prescription is sent to a registered dispensary. The coordinators work with the patient to determine the form of THC, such as chewable gum or a tincture. The dispensary accepts payment in cash. This can be a check, money order, or direct withdrawal from a bank account. Credit cards are not allowed because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level.
Federal prohibition prohibits mail delivery and Texas law requires that dispensaries be vertically integrated. This means that the same facility can grow marijuana plants, harvest the buds, process them, make the delivery forms, and store them. Growers deliver products to consumers in the state at fixed drop-off points.
- Follow-Up
Although the state does not require that patients see their doctor for follow-up, clinics can schedule appointments to monitor the progress of treatment. To continue prescribing prescriptions, the doctor must renew the patient’s place on the state registry each year.
