Get the Facts

What the federal rescheduling of marijuana means for medical cannabis in Texas

On October 6, President Biden pardoned thousands of Americans federally convicted of marijuana possession and asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Attorney General to review how cannabis is scheduled under federal law. Cannabis is currently classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, and under the strictest schedule, is not considered to have medical value.

However, this classification contrasts with the increasing support for cannabis as a medicine, as medical research and patient success stories continue to grow. In Texas, recent polls have revealed overwhelming bipartisan support for medical cannabis. In particular, a recent poll by Baselice & Associates, Inc. found that 72 percent of Republican primary voters in Texas favored allowing physicians to prescribe medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids for treating chronic pain.

The rescheduling of marijuana would have a far-reaching impact on cannabis as a medicine, including in Texas, where medical cannabis is legal for over 100 medical conditions.

So how does this impact cannabis in Texas? Here’s what you need to know.

What would change?
Moving cannabis to a lower schedule would make it easier to research its medical uses, enabling more clinical trials and studies of its medical benefits. Additionally, a lower schedule classification would be the first step to additional reforms that would lift some of the financial restrictions and regulatory burdens that currently prevent cannabis providers from utilizing banking services, insurance, loans and more.

Is cannabis legal in Texas?
Possession of cannabis remains illegal in Texas, however the state does have a medical cannabis program that allows patients living with qualifying medical conditions to use the medicine.

The Compassionate Use Program, which is overseen by the Department of Public Safety, allows licensed dispensaries to provide medical cannabis to patients with qualifying conditions. Of the three licensed companies in the state, Texas Original is the only dispensary that is Texas-owned and operated. Medical cannabis products must not be ignitable, so the medicine is offered in products like gummies, lozenges, and tinctures.

Texas Original sign with cannabis plants

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

The rescheduling of marijuana would have a far-reaching impact on cannabis as a medicine,

To qualify for medical cannabis, a patient must:

Be a Texas resident
Have an approved condition
Receive a prescription from a registered doctor

Under the current Texas law, the approved conditions for medical cannabis include:

Peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain)
Spasticity (muscle spasms)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Autism
Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
ALS
MS
Cancer
And over 100 more conditions

Click here to see a full list of qualifying conditions in Texas.

How do I get medical cannabis in Texas?
Unlike other states, Texas does not use medical cards. Instead, the doctor will upload a digital prescription to the state’s secure online registry, where it can be accessed by licensed dispensaries. Getting a prescription can be completed in just a few steps.

First, schedule an appointment with a doctor who is registered to prescribe medical cannabis. Fill out the form on Texas Original’s website to be connected to a prescriber.

During the appointment, the doctor will review your medical records and confirm if you are eligible for medical cannabis, then discuss your treatment plan.

Once approved, your doctor will add your prescription to the online medical cannabis registry. After your appointment, call 512-614-0343 to place your first order. A medical cannabis expert will help you select your products, then schedule you for a pickup at a location nearest to you or delivery.

If you or a loved one are ready to start your journey with medical cannabis, reach out to Texas Original to get started. Plus, enjoy a 20 percent discount on your first order at Texas Original.

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Who Has the Energy?

Austin City Council approves energy plan to go coal-free by 2035

Photo by Jeremy Doddridge on Unsplash

Austin Energy drafted a plan that the Austin City Council accepted unanimously.

Many are uncertain about the world's collective energy strategy, but the City of Austin has a game plan for the next 10 years. The City Council has unanimously adopted Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan to 2035.

According to a release from the city, this plan offers "a flexible path to a clean energy future that incorporates the community’s core values of reliability, affordability, environmental sustainability and energy equity."

Members of the public can review extensive documentation, including the 72-page report, at publicinput.com.

The plan authored by Austin Energy includes a number of strategies carried over from 2020. It includes a goal of going completely carbon-free by 2035 in favor of renewable sources like wind and solar; prioritizing solutions that directly impact the customer like better demand response, efficiency programs, solar options, and customer-installed battery storage; and reaching further into exploring more advanced systems like nuclear and geothermal tech or virtual power plants.

It also addresses the need for more responsive solutions during "extreme weather events," both in the heat and cold, which it proposes implementing locally. The lead meteorologist for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has predicted an overall warmer winter for 2025, but with greater chances of experiencing extreme cold — so this may be an increasingly pressing topic on Austinites' minds.

Despite a sweeping desire to enable more renewable resources, one of the local solutions would be allowing Austin Energy to add more, higher-efficiency natural gas peakers, which would have an emissions cap and only run as an emergency measure. A graph in the report shows that 50 percent of Austin Energy's 2023 generation was renewable, compared to 41 percent of ERCOT's.

"As renewable resources continue to increase in the ERCOT system, we’re seeing new operational challenges," the report explains. "One example is curtailment for these resources when too much power is produced and the system can’t handle it. This makes that resource less valuable to our customers. Local renewable energy, energy storage, energy efficiency and demand response investments avoid these challenges and will be especially important going forward."

“A big part of this plan is readying ourselves to get out of Fayette Power Project,” said Mayor Kirk Watson in the city release. “There must be replacement power to protect customers from energy shortfalls and additional energy market risks. For those who share the goal of getting out of coal, this plan is a step forward.”

Austin Energy created the plan with input from 7,512 customers, including 6,355 residential consumers. Their greatest concern was reliability, ranked as a No. 1 value by 38 percent of participants. There were also stakeholder workshops involving groups like the University of Texas at Austin, Austin ISD, H-E-B, Sierra Club, and Habitat for Humanity.

“We are extremely grateful to Austin City Council and our many community partners and industry experts who played a vital role in shaping Austin Energy’s future,” said Austin Energy general manager Bob Kahn. “We are confident that this plan provides the flexibility Austin Energy needs to meet the challenges ahead while reflecting the priorities of our community.”

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