Even at 1% THC, medical cannabis piques the interest of Texas businesses

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has received 132 applications to open medical cannabis dispensaries, with no word on how many will be approved, or when. According to Austin-based TV station KVUE, the Texas Department of Public Safety has in fact not set a deadline for approving applications.

Open but restricted access to medical cannabis

«The Department will issue only the number of licenses necessary to ensure reasonable statewide access and availability of the low-THC cannabis for patients on the compassionate use register,» said the DPS in January.

Companies must meet a series of financial conditions to be approved, including having enough money to maintain the business for at least two years. These conditions are in addition to the application fee, which is over $7,000.

The application period for operating within the Compassionate Use Program (CUP) opened last January and closed in April. The CUP is the result of Senate Bill 339 during the 84th session of the Texas Legislature in 2015.

Low-dose medical cannabis

As part of the Texas Compassionate Program, DPS maintains an online registry of qualified physicians who can prescribe medical marijuana to patients with specific medical conditions.

In 2015, the legislature approved the Compassionate Use Act (Compassionate Use Act), which makes low-THC medical cannabis legal for patients suffering from intractable epilepsy.

In 2019, this law was extended to include neurodegenerative diseases and terminal cancer. In 2021, it was once again extended to all forms of cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder, and the legal THC level in medical products has been raised from 0.5 to 1%.