Apply for Your Texas Medical Marijuana Card
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How to Get a Medical Marijuana Certification in Texas Step By Step
The Compassionate Use Act of Texas, signed into law in June 2015, established the Compassionate Use Program (CUP), which permitted physicians registered with the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT) to prescribe medical CBD and low-THC medicinal cannabis to patients who met specified criteria.
Low-THC cannabis is defined in Texas as “the plant Cannabis sativa L., and any component of that plant, or any compound, manufacturing, salt, derivative, mixture, preparation, resin, or oil of that plant containing not more than 1% by weight of THC” (HB 1525, effective Sept. 1, 2021).
The state of Texas now restricts medical marijuana use to oral preparations rather than smokable items. Furthermore, the state does not issue medical marijuana cards. It instead writes medical marijuana prescriptions.
Step 1: Identify Your Qualifying Medical Condition
Currently, patients with any qualifying ailment from the following list may be prescribed medical CBD and low-THC cannabis by registered physicians:
- All forms of epilepsy, including intractable epilepsy and other seizure disorders
- Autism and other spectrum disorders
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Spasticity
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Terminal Cancer
- All forms of cancer (Effective Sept. 1, 2021)
- Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia
- Neuropathy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Effective Sept. 1, 2021)
- Huntington’s disease
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
- Over 100 other incurable neurodegenerative diseases
Step 2: Meet with a Licensed Physician
In Texas, a drug screen is always required for new applicants, so initial appointments for qualified patients seeking medical marijuana certification must be in person. Telemedicine can be used to schedule subsequent appointments with the same licensed doctor.
After an appointment, a doctor enters their patient’s prescription into the CURT online system, which dispensaries use to look up the patient’s information and fill the prescription for medical marijuana.
The medical marijuana program in Texas is unique from those in other states in a number of ways. First, patients do not sign up for the CURT system on their own. Patients are also exempt from gathering any registration paperwork.
The CUP registration and application processes for their patients are handled by medical marijuana doctors in accordance with Texas marijuana laws. Finally, there is no state registration fee that Texans must pay.
Step 3: Purchase Medical Marijuana at a Licensed Dispensary
Each patient, their legal guardian, or their caregiver must present the patient’s ID (as well as their own, if applicable), the patient’s last name, their date of birth, and the last five digits of their Social Security number at every medical marijuana dispensary in Texas.
Texas currently has three authorized dispensaries in operation. Here is how to get in touch with them:
- Fluent (formerly Cansortium Texas), Adam Sharon, Communications Director, adam@knoxmedical.com
- Compassionate Cultivation, Morris Denton, info@texasoriginal.com , https://texasoriginal.com/
- goodblend (Surterra Texas LLC, d/b/a goodblend), Marcus Ruark, mruark@goodblend.com, www.tx.goodblend.com
Texas medical marijuana prescriptions are valid at any age. However, patients under the age of 18 might need a legal guardian to obtain one.
Important Things to Know About CUP Participation and LTC Laws
Participation in CUP by a patient does not, by itself, preclude that person from obtaining or maintaining a license to carry (LTC).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has determined that participating in certain medical marijuana programs disqualifies a person from owning a firearm, but Texas does not enforce that law.
The underlying condition that underlies your participation in the CUP, however, may disqualify you. The department may send the case to the Medical Advisory Board for review and advice if the medical condition has the potential to impair your ability to make wise decisions.
The department would have the right to reject your application and/or revoke your LTC if the board determined that you were “incapable of exercising sound judgment with respect to the proper use and storage of a handgun.
Need Help Applying for a Texas CUP Membership?
Would you like to submit an application to compete in Texas’ CUP? You can get assistance from the Sanctuary Wellness Institute to help you navigate the process and submit a strong application.
At the Sanctuary, we match Texas patients with qualifying conditions with authorized doctors who can recommend medical marijuana for their treatment. To find out how we can assist you, get in touch with us today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will patients be able to grow their own cannabis?
No. Cannabis can only be grown by licensed cultivators, and even then, it can only be done to produce low-THC cannabis. Only authorized dispensaries can sell low-THC cannabis products to patients.
Is it legal to smoke low-THC marijuana now?
No–it is illegal under Texas law to smoke low-THC cannabis.
What protections will patients and legal guardians have against criminal prosecution for possession of marijuana?
A valid prescription from a licensed dispensary for low-THC cannabis is required for possession of it, and Texas law exempts patients and their legal guardians from criminal liability.
Will dispensing organizations be allowed to make products from different plant strains?
The marijuana products dispensaries are allowed to legally produce and sell are determined by Texas law.
What are the penalties for someone who is in violation of CUP?
Penalties for using a controlled substance will all remain the same. The only exceptions are for infractions involving cannabis with a low THC content.
Will other forms of medical marijuana be available through prescription?
No, the only type of cannabis available with a prescription is low-THC cannabis.