Can You Get Cannabis Certified for Chronic Pain in Texas?
- Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons given for getting a medical marijuana card.
- Chronic pain is not listed among the qualifying medical conditions for a Texas cannabis prescription.
- However, patients with chronic pain caused from another listed condition can qualify.
- Pain patients also have other legal options for cannabis-based treatment in Texas.
Next to anxiety, chronic pain is one of the top reasons patients give for shopping at marijuana dispensaries nationwide. However, you can get a medical cannabis for chronic pain in Texas. Some of the conditions on the state’s list of qualifying medical conditions such as cancer and CTE can cause chronic pain, while other causes of pain do not qualify.
Depending on the cause of the pain and the patient’s condition, doctor prescribed medical marijuana might be a good fit to treat pain with cannabis in Texas. It’s highly likely that chronic pain will be added to the list eventually.
Low-THC cannabis oil in Texas
Under Texas medical marijuana laws, cannabis products are limited to THC levels of one percent. THC is the intoxicating compound produced in marijuana. Moreover, products must contain at least 10 percent CBD, a non-intoxicating cannabinoid.
The fact is, both of these cannabinoids have been shown to help relieve chronic pain in some patients. THC tends to be better at reducing feelings of pain, while CBD tends to be more effective at reducing inflammation which is the most common cause of pain. While some patients respond better to a product that contains both THC and CBD, some do just fine without the THC.
Moreover, at only one percent THC, and with a bioavailability of less than 10 percent for oral applications (that is the amount that enters the bloodstream) patients are unlikely to experience the benefits of THC or to feel intoxicated when using Texas regulation cannabis products at recommended dosages.
This is where products produced from hemp come in. Cannabis strains that produce less than 0.3 percent THC are considered to be hemp which is fully legal in Texas. In other words, there’s less than one percent difference between the state’s medical marijuana products and those produced from hemp.
Texans don’t need a medical marijuana card to buy CBD online. CBD products can also be found at some local shops.
Treating chronic pain with medical cannabis in Texas
So which cannabis products are best for treating pain?
For the sudden onset of pain, a product with a fast onset time is ideal. Smoking, vaping, dabbing, and inhalers offer almost instantaneous effects. Inhalation produces a sudden surge in the cannabinoid levels in the blood as the cannabinoids are absorbed directly into the bloodstream from the lungs.
For chronic pain, patients look for more consistent cannabinoid blood levels. Medical marijuana products such as oils, tinctures, capsules, and edibles offer a slower onset time and lower potency although produce more consistent cannabinoid levels, especially when taken with a meal. Infused patches also offer consistent delivery as the cannabinoids are absorbed over time through the skin.
Some experimentation is generally required to determine the ideal delivery method and cannabinoid formula for each patient. However, it’s important that patients start with the lowest possible dosage — under 5 milligrams. Microdosing allows the patient to determine if there are any unwanted side effects before increasing dosage.
If the patient feels no adverse effects, then the dosage can be increased slowly until the desired results are achieved. Surpassing the ideal dosage can actually reduce the effectiveness of cannabinoids as the body will try to overcompensate. Thus using more than necessary is not only a waste of money but can also be less effective.
CBD laws in Texas
CBD produced from hemp plants was made legal in Texas in June 2019 and expanded in 2020. Texas passed another CBD law in the summer of 2020 further expanding the legality of hemp-derived CBD products in Texas.
All Texans can buy CBD online without a medical marijuana card and without having one of the qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. Card-holding medical marijuana patients can also purchase CBD products in Texas marijuana medical dispensaries.
There is no limit to the amount of hemp CBD an individual can possess. However, it is still illegal to smoke hemp flower in public in Texas.
Final word
Although chronic pain is not a qualifying medical condition for a Texas cannabis, pain due to other medical conditions does.
That being said, patients suffering from chronic pain will notice a difference between CBD-rich hemp products and Texas’ low-THC medical marijuana products which have more THC in them.
Although anyone can buy CBD products in Texas, patients treating chronic pain should not be self-medicating. Patients are strongly advised to consult with one a certified Texas medical marijuana doctors. See if you qualify today!