Does a Texas program allow some state residents to use medicinal marijuana?

Under Texas’ Compassionate Use Program, or CUP, eligible patients may be prescribed low-tetrahydrocannabinol by their physician.

To enroll, individuals must be a permanent state resident and have a qualifying health condition such as epilepsy, cancer, autism, PTSD or multiple sclerosis, among others.

Unlike more comprehensive medical marijuana programs, CUP prohibits smoking as a method of consumption. Additionally, physicians may only prescribe marijuana that does not exceed 1% THC by weight.

The Texas Department of Public Safety ensures that only one physician registers as a prescriber of low-THC cannabis for a single patient with the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas. The registry is accessible to law enforcement agencies and dispensing organizations to confirm a patient’s medical use of THC.

Senate Bill 339, or CUP, was approved by the Texas Legislature in 2015.