Texas CBD Program

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In 2019, Texas legalized hemp, the plant from which CBD is derived. This created a booming marketplace for CBD products in Texas in recent months.

The Texas law, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2019, followed a 2018 change at the federal level that legalized hemp.

The Texas Department of Agriculture created a state hemp plan, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January 2020. Now, the department is reviewing applications for hemp growing licenses and permits.

Separately, Texas recently expanded access to its medical marijuana program. The state requires medical marijuana to contain a limited amount of THC (0.5 percent or less), but does not currently have any stipulations regarding the amount of CBD. Earlier rules required that medical cannabis contained at least 10 percent of CBD.

Who Can Use Texas Low-THC Medicine?

Texas patients who have been diagnosed with the following conditions can access medical marijuana in Texas:

How Do I Get a Recommendation in Texas?

Patients must be diagnosed by a qualified physician, who determines that the benefits of medical marijuana outweigh any risks. Once you find a registered doctor, you can make an appointment with that doctor and discuss next steps. Your doctor must be a specialist in your specific medical condition. If they wish to prescribe medical cannabis to treat your condition, they must register the prescription with the state.

A Promising Step

Texas has already expanded access to medical marijuana in recent years. Between 2015 and 2019, only patients who had been diagnosed with intractable epilepsy could access medical marijuana in Texas. But a new law, instituted in 2019, expanded the list of approved medical conditions. This is a promising step in the right direction for marijuana access in Texas. To learn about future program expansions, sign up for our newsletter.