The Texas Legislature is expected to consider proposals to reform the state’s medical cannabis program during the 2021 legislative session. To help inform this process, Vicente Sederberg LLP has produced a brief white paper, which examines the effectiveness and sustainability of the current Texas Compassionate Use Program (T.CUP) and offers policy recommendations for improving patient access, treatment outcomes, and the economic health of the program.
The authors also performed a comparative analysis of the T.CUP and healthy medical cannabis programs in other states around the country. In summary, it found that, if Texas enacted the proposed policy recommendations, it would significantly increase patient registration, boost sales, and ensure the viability of the program and its existing business licensee. This larger and more robust medical cannabis market could also sustain hundreds of new businesses, create tens of thousands of new jobs, and result in additional benefits such as criminal justice savings, reduced state public health spending, and a drop in opioid abuse and mortality.
To improve the health of patients and of T.CUP, the authors make the following recommendations to the Legislature:
- Allow Texas physicians to determine the appropriate forms and dosage for patients
- Limit THC dispensation by purchase volume rather than individual product
- Add specialized license types, like testing, and embrace Texas free market competition
- Establish specific time frames for rulemaking and decide which agency should have authority
To learn more about pre-filed legislation regarding medical cannabis, click here.
Looking for CME credit? Join ACS and get a comprehensive overview of the medicine, science, and policy issues facing practitioners, with reference to current Texas policy. This 5 hour, virtual event will feature presentations from the most notable experts and experienced cannabis specialists, including Mike Tagen Ph.D., Jordan Tishler M.D., Stacia Woodcock Pharm.D., and Julia Arnsten M.D. Symposium participants will hear the following topics and have an opportunity to ask the experts questions in a moderated question and answer session. Register today!
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