How Easy It is to Get Weed in Texas – An Inquiry By Journalist

In Texas, you can get medicine with THC if a doctor says so, but using marijuana for fun is still against the rules. Find out how Joel Eisenbaum from KPRC 2 investigated how people get medical marijuana prescriptions and what he found out!

Weed in Texas

In Texas, you can’t just use cannabis for fun like in 24 other states where it’s legal. But some stores sell unregulated products similar to weed, like Delta-8 and Delta-9.

These products are easy to find and buy for any adult.

If you want weed legally in Texas, you need a doctor’s prescription for medical marijuana.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Prescription

To get medical marijuana, you need a prescription and a qualifying health condition according to texas cannabis law.

These conditions include ALS, Autism, Cancer, Epilepsy, MS, PTSD, Seizure disorder, Spasticity, and some approved for research programs.

How It All Started

Eisenbaum began by searching online for places in Houston where he could legally buy medical marijuana. He picked ‘Texas Original‘.

He learned that there are only three licensed places in Texas where you can buy medical marijuana. These places can’t grow their own products; they have to get them from Austin.

On the Texas Original website, there was a service called ‘Clean Ganja‘ to help people get a prescription.

For $119, people could talk to a licensed medical marijuana doctor approved by the Texas Medical Board.

Eisenbaum talked to Dr. An Chen, who works in New York and can practice in all 50 states.

Dr. Chen asked why Eisenbaum wanted medical marijuana. Eisenbaum said sometimes he has trouble sleeping.

In less than two minutes, Dr. Chen asked a few more questions about Eisenbaum’s health and gave him the prescription.

Before they finished, Dr. Chen reminded Eisenbaum to keep the marijuana away from kids, not to drive after using it, and to check his email for confirmation.

But, it’s important to note that Dr. Chen didn’t ask about specific medical problems that would qualify someone for medical marijuana in Texas. Trouble sleeping isn’t one of those problems.

The Outcome

The following day, Joel received his prescription and became officially allowed to have medical marijuana. Soon after, he went online to place his order. Choosing the pickup option, he returned to ‘Texas Original.’

Once he collected his prescription, Joel asked store employees how they determine if someone is allowed to have medical marijuana.

They suggested contacting the corporate office in Austin for “Texas Original.”

What were the responses when he asked how they identify if the patient qualifies for medical marijuana or not?

The Texas Department of Public Safety:

DPS declined an interview but provided information for reporting purposes. DPS manages the Compassionate Use Program (CUP) in Texas, overseeing registration requirements for participating physicians through the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT).

Response from Texas Original (Medical Marijuana Dispensary):

Texas Original’s Team gave their explanation by saying that we didn’t appoint doctors for CURT, that’s DPS’s job. They don’t favor any doctor and removed Clean Ganja from their list. They just focus on providing quality cannabis for medical usage to their buyers.

Take Away

In Texas, using marijuana for recreational use is illegal, but you can get medical marijuana with a doctor’s prescription if you have certain health conditions. Joel Eisenbaum investigated how people get medical marijuana prescriptions and found that it’s relatively easy. He got his prescription after a quick online consultation with a doctor. However, the process didn’t include a detailed medical evaluation required by Texas law. Eisenbaum’s experience shows the need for clearer regulations around medical marijuana in Texas.