In Texas, the legalization of Marijuana continues to be a hot topic of debate as more states legalize the popular drug. Some Texans argue that the state should legalize marijuana for recreational use, while others suggest lawmakers increase the number of patients who can use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Regardless of your stance, it’s essential to identify who can use medical marijuana at this time.
Medicinal Marijuana in America
In different states, lawmakers have legalized medical marijuana to treat the following ailments:
- Various forms of cancer;
- Glaucoma;
- HIV/AIDS;
- Chronic pain;
- Severe nausea;
- Muscle spasms;
- Hepatitis C
- Crohn’s disease;
- Alzheimer’s disease;
- Post-traumatic stress disorder;
- ALS;
- Tourette’s syndrome;
- Severe arthritis;
- Migraines;
- Etc.
Clearly, many Americans believe marijuana has medicinal uses; while Texas also believes marijuana has medicinal uses, the scope of its benefits is much smaller in the state’s eye.
Medicinal Marijuana in Texas
In Texas, medical marijuana is only available to a specific group of people. Texas law states that anyone with intractable epilepsy can use medical marijuana and that no other ailment qualifies for medical marijuana use.
In the law, intractable epilepsy is defined as “a seizure disorder in which the patient’s seizures have been treated by two or more appropriately chosen and maximally titrated antiepileptic drugs that have failed to control the seizures.”
In other words, the only people who can use medicinal marijuana in Texas are those with epileptic seizures who have attempted to use two other antiepileptic drugs that didn’t work. As previously stated, this is an extremely specific group of individuals.
As you can see, the use of medical marijuana in Texas is not available to a wide range of people, which means anyone who uses or is in possession of marijuana and is arrested is likely to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If you ever need representation for marijuana-related charges, attorney John L. Venza Jr. is here to help!