Unlike many of its neighboring states, Texas has not yet legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. However, recent changes to the law have expanded the legal uses of marijuana for medical purposes. Under the updated laws, Texas residents may access certain cannabis products prescribed to treat a variety of diseases and medical disorders.
According to FindLaw, the original legislation that permitted medical marijuana in limited circumstances was the Texas Compassionate Use Act. This law allowed doctors to prescribe cannabidiol oil to treat intractable epilepsy. Legal CBD oil had to contain less than 0.5 percent THC, which is the psychoactive component of marijuana. If an individual had a prescription for CBD oil, he or she could obtain it at one of the state’s few dispensaries. Personal cultivation was illegal. The law prohibited smoking marijuana and using any form of the drug recreationally.
A report from The Dallas Morning News states that a new law passed in June of 2019 allows adults to obtain prescriptions for medical marijuana from certain doctors. Another bill passed in the same month legalized low-THC CBD products and allowed farmers to grow hemp as an industrial crop. Texas residents may now legally use medical marijuana to treat issues including some seizure disorders, autism, Parkinson’s disease and terminal cancer. To purchase medical marijuana products from the state’s dispensary, an individual must get a prescription from his or her doctor. Legal medical marijuana products are only available as oils or as products for use in an inhaler. Smoking marijuana, even for medical purposes, is illegal. The updated law allows more residents with debilitating medical conditions access to potentially effective cannabis treatments.