Compassionate Cultivation Medical Marijuana Is a Hit With Texas Seniors
Medical marijuana is no stranger to the harsh realities of misinformation and public perception. However, public perception has started to increasingly match the positive data, looking favorably on the huge benefits to those in need of these life-changing treatments.
What is Medical Marijuana?
By definition, medical marijuana is the plant Cannabis sativa L., and any part of that plant or any compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, preparation, resin or oil that can be obtained from it. In Texas, low-THC cannabis cannot contain more than 0.5% by weight of THC (the principal psychoactive component of the plant), which is responsible for a multitude of medical uses including nausea control for cancer patients, along with appetite stimulation and as a sleep aide. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nonintoxicating cannabis plant compound with a long list of ailments that it can help to alleviate including anxiety, pain and depression.
The short answer for why seniors are increasingly turning to these options is that medical marijuana is simply safer, and for many, much more effective in improving their quality of life than pharmaceuticals like opioids and anti-psychotics.
Texas Laws are Changing
In 2019, the Lone Star State expanded its medical marijuana program to include many more conditions like Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s and terminal cancer. Previously, the program only covered patients diagnosed with intractable epilepsy. As the state nears its next legislative session in January 2021, supporters of this medicine are hoping for even more expansions for patients in the state.
In Texas, only licensed dispensers may grow medical cannabis and products that require igniting are not allowed. There are three licensed producers, but only one is Texas-owned and operated.
The Texas Compassionate Use Program allows registered, board-certified physicians to prescribe medical cannabis to patients with qualifying conditions.
These include:
- Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
- Autism and other spectrum disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Huntington's Disease
- Parkinson's Disease
- Alzheimer's and other dementias
- Parkinson's Disease
- Spasticity
- Terminal Cancer
- Neuropathy
- Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
- Over 100 more neurological conditions
Medical Marijuana Accessibility for Seniors
Unlike other medical cannabis states, Texas does not use medical marijuana cards. Instead, a physician registered with the Compassionate Use Program can input a medical marijuana prescription into the Compassionate Use Registry which is viewable by any of the three licensed companies in Texas.
The steps to obtaining medical marijuana are as follows:
- Confirm you or a loved one has an eligible condition
- Schedule an appointment with your current physician or let Compassionate Cultivation help you find a doctor who is eligible to write a medical marijuana prescription in Texas.
- After your appointment, call a local, licensed medical cannabis dispensary to have your prescription filled and schedule a pickup or delivery, if available.
Of the three companies that are licensed to produce and sell medically-prescribed cannabis, only one is Texas-owned and operated, Compassionate Cultivation.
To learn more about the medical marijuana program in Texas and see if you qualify, visit texasoriginal.com.
This article is brought to you by Compassionate Cultivation.
