The Texas Compassionate Use Act allows qualified physicians to prescribe low-THC medical cannabis to patients diagnosed with qualifying medical conditions.
Qualified physicians must be board-certified in a medical specialty relevant to the approved medical conditions by a specialty board approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties or the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists.
Qualifying physicians must register with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Compassionate Use Registry Portal. The process of registering with the medical cannabis program is straightforward and typically takes less than 10 minutes to apply. To help clarify the process, here’s a quick rundown of how it is done:
The Texas Compassionate Use Act allows qualified physicians to prescribe low-THC cannabis to patients diagnosed with any of the following:
(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Qualifying conditions
(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurological disease involving the nerve cells that are responsible for muscle movement. ALS usually begins in the hands, feet or limbs, then continues to deteriorate muscle control throughout the body. Early signs of ALS may include muscle stiffness and weakness. Patients living with ALS may also experience muscle cramps, twitches, spasms, slurred speech, difficulty walking, tripping and falling, difficulty sleeping due to pain, and cognitive difficulties. These symptoms can also trigger mental difficulties such as anxiety and depression.
Our ALS patients have reported improvements in muscle cramping, pain management, anxiety, insomnia and overall mobility after taking medical marijuana. Watch our success stories here.
ALS Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Relieve:
And other dementias
Qualifying conditions
And other dementias
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a covered condition for medical marijuana in Texas that slowly, progressively destroys brain cells over time. The most common symptoms include loss of memory and thinking skills. As the disease progresses, people with AD will lose the ability to perform simple activities of daily living like dressing themselves, toileting and bathing.
Medical marijuana can help produce anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neurogenic effects in patients. Clinical studies have also reported positive behavioral effects in patients with Alzheimer’s.
AD and Dementia Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Relieve:
And other spectrum disorders
Qualifying conditions
And other spectrum disorders
One of the covered conditions for medical marijuana in Texas, Autism is a spectrum disorder that mainly impacts behavior and some physical abilities. While symptoms and severity can vary widely, patients living with Autism usually experience difficulty with communication, difficulty with social interactions, obsessive interests, aggression and repetitive behaviors.
Since the mid 2010s, there have been several noteworthy studies that show CBD and THC helps improve symptoms and co-morbidities. Check out our patient success stories here.
Autism Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Relieve:
Qualifying conditions
Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body, which can destroy normal body tissue. Terminal cancer currently qualifies for medical marijuana in Texas. On September 1, 2021, all cancer diagnoses will qualify.
Several studies point to the potential benefits of medical marijuana for cancer patients who are experiencing nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite and pain. While research is still ongoing, patients have reported improvements in appetite, nausea and overall quality of life with medical cannabis.
Cancer Symptoms Medical Marijuana May Relieve:
Qualifying conditions
Cerebral Palsy is a group of congenital disorders that affect body movement and muscle coordination. CP, a covered condition for medical marijuana in Texas, is also the most common motor disability during childhood. Patients living with CP may experience symptoms such as lack of balance and coordination, stiff muscles, spasms and tremors, difficulty walking, difficulty eating and swallowing, pain and seizures.
As a treatment for Cerebral Palsy, medical marijuana is shown to be effective in helping to manage pain, spasms, seizures and speech impairments by relaxing the muscles.
Cerebral Palsy Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Treat:
And other seizure disorders
Qualifying conditions
And other seizure disorders
Epilepsy, which is eligible for medical marijuana in Texas, is a neurological disorder in which abnormal brain activity causes seizures and disturbances in cognitive functions. Approximately 30 percent of people with epilepsy don’t respond well to conventional treatments, but cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, has emerged as a promising alternative treatment option.
Research indicates medical marijuana treatments may decrease the frequency of convulsive seizures in some patients living with intractable epilepsy, and numerous patients and caregivers have come forward across the country in recent years reporting positive responses to CBD.
Epilepsy Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Relieve:
Qualifying conditions
Huntington’s Disease is a progressive brain disorder in which nerve cells in the brain break down over time. Patients living with Huntington’s Disease may experience a wide range of symptoms such as involuntary jerking and movements, dystonia and muscle problems, problems with coordination, cognitive issues and confusion, depression and anxiety.
As an approved condition for medical marijuana in Texas, patients living with Huntington’s Disease may find relief for many of the physical and psychological symptoms while using cannabis medicine.
Huntington’s Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Treat:
(Multiple Sclerosis)
Qualifying conditions
(Multiple Sclerosis)
While the cause of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is still unknown, this potentially disabling disease triggers the body’s immune system to attack the central nervous system. MS can trigger a wide range of symptoms for patients including muscle spasms, pain, fatigue, slurred speech, dizziness and anxiety.
Research shows medical marijuana, containing CBD levels equal or higher than THC, have had positive effects on muscle spasticity and pain. The effects of cannabis and its safety have been reviewed by the American Academy of Neurology in a practice guideline. In Texas, MS is a covered condition eligible for medical marijuana.
MS Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Relieve:
Qualifying conditions
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement and is a covered condition for medical marijuana in Texas. Patients living with Parkinson’s may experience tremors, slowed movements (bradykinesia), rigid muscles, involuntary muscle movements (dyskinesia), impaired posture, spasms and speech changes. Other associated symptoms can include depression, anxiety, hallucinations, sleep disorders and late-stage dementia.
Multiple studies in animal models have demonstrated symptom relief, improvement of treatment-induced dyskinesias, and suggest a role in neuroprotection with various cannabinoid therapies. Parkinson’s patients have reported improvements in pain management, movement, spasms and overall quality of life with cannabis medicine. Check out our patient success stories here.
Parkinson’s Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Relieve:
Qualifying conditions
Peripheral Neuropathy occurs when the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord are damaged due to traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic problems and exposure to toxins.
Several clinical studies suggest that patients with Peripheral Neuropathy may benefit from low-dose medical cannabis for pain, insomnia and overall functioning. As a covered condition, patients diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy are eligible for cannabis medicine in Texas.
Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Treat:
Qualifying conditions
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will become a covered condition for medical marijuana in Texas starting September 1, 2021. PTSD is a debilitating neurological condition that develops after experiencing a shocking, scary or dangerous event. The most common symptoms are flashbacks, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, avoidance, cognition and mood problems.
Research has found that cannabinoids directly affect the brain and central nervous system which may play a role in easing the symptoms of many neurological conditions. Medical marijuana has been shown to reduce PTSD symptoms, sleep disturbances and nightmares.
PTSD Symptoms Medical Marijuana May Relieve:
Qualifying conditions
Spasticity is a condition where a person’s muscles stiffen and/or tighten involuntarily, restricting and affecting their ability for normal movement and speech. While it is not a disease or illness unto itself, it is a commonly occurring co-morbidity that accompanies many prevalent muscular and neurological conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, Encephalitis, ALS and Meningitis.
Of all the current qualifying conditions listed on the Texas Compassionate Use Act, spasticity has shown the most promise with treatment from medical cannabis. There have been several studies that show a patient suffering from spasticity can find relief from the symptoms of spasticity with CBD and THC treatment. Patients living with Spasticity have reported improvements in pain management, spasms and sleep while taking medical cannabis. Watch our patient success stories here.
Spasticity Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Relieve:
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
(Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy)
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes irreparable brain damage triggered by repeated head traumas. This rare degenerative disease is also one of the many conditions eligible for medical marijuana in Texas. As the disease progresses, patients may experience changes in their mood and behavior, memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, depression, aggression, insomnia and eventually progressive dementia.
CTE Symptoms Medical Marijuana Can Relieve:
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
Qualifying conditions
After your application is approved and you have created your CURT account, you are legally permitted to prescribe low-THC medical cannabis products to patients diagnosed with the aforementioned conditions. Patients must be permanent residents of Texas.
You must determine the potential risks associated with prescribing low-THC cannabis to a patient are reasonable in light of the potential benefits to that patient, and then you can enter your patient & the recommended prescription for low-THC cannabis directly into the Compassionate Use Registry.
In order to enter your patient’s prescription, you’ll need the following:
Remember that only non-smokable forms of cannabis are approved under the law. Acceptable forms of cannabis ingestion methods include tinctures, sprays, lozenges and other products made from cannabinoids.
It should be noted that a patient can see a CURT-registered physician solely for the purpose of receiving a Cannabis prescription, while retaining their existing relationship with their primary physician.
The patient information you provide to CURT will be stored in a secure online database designed to help enforce patient monitoring and allow law enforcement to identify individuals who are legally allowed to purchase and possess medical cannabis in the state of Texas.
The system is now available to physicians and dispensing organizations 24 hours a day, enabling doctors to be fully prepared for their patients when they are ready to prescribe cannabis-based medicine in Texas.
Prescribers and patients can reach Compassionate Cultivation at 512-614-0343.
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