HOUSTON – More patients in Texas will soon be eligible for medical marijuana.
The changes to state law that take effect Wednesday will allow patients with any cancer to pursue a prescription for low-THC cannabis. Before, that was limited to people with terminal cancer.
The amended law also makes eligible patients battling post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
“We’re just excited to be able to help Texans, particularly with the PTSD and our veterans,” said Dr. Francisco Daniel Medrano, co-owner and medical director of CannaMedRx.
CannaMedRx is a medical cannabis clinic in Houston. The clinic said its first patient scheduled for Wednesday is a veteran of the war in Iraq.
“We have a receptionist that answers our calls and there’s been many, many more that are calling just for specifically for PTSD,” Medrano said.
Clinic co-founder Melissa Trevino called the expansion of medical marijuana a game-changer.
“There are a lot of veterans that have been waiting for this,” Trevino said. “PTSD does cover not only veterans but other aspects.”
The clinic said the products can range from gummies to a cream or oil but are not smokeable. The state is also raising the limit of THC from .5 percent to one percent.
Medrano is happy with the changes but said advocates were hoping for more.
“We have a long way to go still in Texas but I think we can still help Texans a lot more by expanding the ability of them to get the medication, different products,” he said.