Does Texas Allow Medical Marijuana Cards from Other States in 2023?

Texas has rigid regulations surrounding the percentile of marijuana consumption. This goes a long way in the history of the battle between people who want to make marijuana accessible and the legislation itself since 1931. In 2015, the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Compassionate Use Act, or SB 339, authorizing organizations to cultivate, process, and dispense low-THC cannabis to qualifying patients. It allowed individuals with epilepsy to purchase medical marijuana with less than 0.5% THC and a 20:1 concentration of CBD to THC. Over the years, laws have been amended to include more such medical conditions to allow Texan patients’ intake of medical marijuana.

Medical Marijuana Reciprocity in Texas

Although 36 US states currently have medical marijuana programs, some allow for residents to be qualified but do not have any reciprocity with other states. The following states have medical marijuana programs strictly for residents only:

• Alabama, Alaska,
• California, Colorado, Connecticut,
• Delaware,
• Florida,
• Georgia, Guam,
• Illinois,
• Louisiana,
• Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana,
• New Jersey, New York, North Dakota,
• Ohio, Oregon,
• Pennsylvania,
• South Dakota,
• Texas,
• Vermont, Virginia,
• Washington, and West Virginia.

Hence, Medical Marijuana Texas does not support reciprocity with any other states and they do not accept medical marijuana cards or prescriptions from other states/countries. Hence, you can only use the Texas CURT program to purchase medical cannabis in Texas. Out-of-state cards are not taken into consideration.

Texas Medical Marijuana Card

A limited governmental program was established through which medically qualifying patients can benefit from the usage of prescribed medical marijuana dosage. Only patients who are permanent residents of Texas are eligible to apply for this Compassionate Use Registry Texas program (CURT). It is an online system that allows licensed physicians or Texan practitioners to register their patients by recommending the appropriate amount of medical cannabis for treatment purposes – overlooked by the state’s health department.
There is no providence of a physical medical card or a registration slip in Texas. The procedure is wholly done by the physician who will recommend you the appropriate prescription for the qualifying medical condition.

Who can Qualify for a Medical Marijuana Card?

Along with the necessity of being a permanent resident of Texas, you must be diagnosed by a licensed medical health professional (LMHP) and gain their recommendation for medical marijuana through the CURT program. Some of the qualifying medical conditions for purchasing medical marijuana in Texas include

• Epilepsy
• Seizure Disorder
• Spasticity
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Terminal Cancer
• Autism Spectrum disorders
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Progressive Neurodegenerative Disorders
• Alzheimer’s
• Dementia
• Parkinson’s
• Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy – brain damage from a repetitive head injury

Recently, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been also added to this list for intake of medical marijuana in Texas.

How To Get Your Medical Marijuana Card in TX?

1. Fill up an online evaluation form

Begin the process by filling up an online evaluation form with accurate personal and medical details.

2. Get Evaluated

Get evaluated by the medical marijuana doctors that are licensed by the state. This evaluation will take 15-20 minutes only.

3. Receive Your Medical Card

Once the medical marijuana doctor approves the applicant, you will receive your medical card in your registered email.

This 3-step process is a success at your home’s comfort since Texas approves telehealth services.

Is weed legal in Texas?

After much deliberation and lawful amendments, Texas has partially legalized medical marijuana as it treats various symptoms and helps speedy recovery of certain medical conditions. Texas’s Compassionate Use Program (CUP) allows low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabis for medical purposes. While recreational cannabis is still illegal.

What type of marijuana does Texas state approve?

Marijuana is classified as a cannabis plant or its derivatives that have a THC concentration of more than 0.3%. If the substance has less THC, it’s considered hemp.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-psychoactive compound of cannabis. Businesses may sell it throughout Texas as long as its THC concentration is less than 0.3%.

Delta-8 is a psychoactive substance that is naturally produced in small amounts by cannabis plants. In May 2021, a federal court in California ruled in a separate suit that delta-8 products fall under the legal definition of hemp — and are therefore federally legal — so long as their THC concentration remained under 0.3%.

Penalties for possession and cultivation

• In Texas, possession of up to 2 ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor – punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
• Possession of 2 ounces to 4 ounces of marijuana is a Class A misdemeanor – fine of up to $4,000 and up to one year in jail.
• Possession of any amount more than 4 ounces would result in a felony charge.
• Possession of drug paraphernalia — such as pipes or bongs, but not marijuana itself — is a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine up to $500, but no jail time.
• Medical marijuana patients are not allowed to grow marijuana for medicinal use at their homes. Individuals or organizations cannot cultivate weed or cannabis for medicinal purposes or recreational use. It can be punished severely and is illegal.

Can My Texas Medical Cannabis Card Expire?

No registry identification card is needed, nor is there a fee to participate in the program. Regardless, the qualifying patient must undergo screening or a visit with the prescribing doctor every year to renew or decline their prescription as per the physician’s evaluation.
So, it can be considered that a prescription will be considered expired without the constant consulting and updating of medical diagnosis with the patient.