Are you struggling with a health condition and/or therapy that makes day-to-day function and comfort difficult? Do you wonder if medical marijuana could help you feel more like yourself and improve your quality of life? Let’s look at what qualifies as a health issue for medical marijuana treatment in Texas.
The Heartbreak of Chronic or Terminal Illnesses
Neurological conditions and terminal disease processes present unique issues concerning symptom control. Conventional therapies often produce severe side effects, such as constant nausea and vomiting, or the diseases themselves seem untouchable in palliation.
These situations have prompted the legalized use of medical-grade marijuana in many states across the country, including Texas. The Texas Department of Public Safety administers the Texas Compassionate Use Act and Program. This entity carefully guards the parameters within which registered physicians may prescribe cannabis in different forms (gummies and tinctures). It also guides doctors and dispensaries who serve adults qualified to receive this type of palliative therapy.
Is Your Condition Serious Enough for Medical Marijuana?
Texas state law allows certain physicians listed in the Texas Compassionate Use Program to prescribe medical marijuana to patients 18 years of age and older. This form of medical marijuana contains only one percent of the active ingredient called THC and, therefore, is considered low dose and appropriate for palliation of a wide range of physical and mental health symptoms related to ongoing illness and treatments.
In general, a qualifying medical condition must be adult-onset, terminal (such as cancer or ALS), long-standing, and/or not sufficiently responsive to other symptom-relief methods. Additionally, some people experience intolerable side effects from treatments and medications used to manage their health conditions. A common example is the appetite suppression, nausea, and vomiting stemming from chemotherapy and radiation treatments for end-stage cancer. So, marijuana may be a good potential alternative to conventional treatments.
Early on in the use of legalized marijuana for medical purposes, prescriptions were limited to epilepsy patients. Over the ensuing years, however, Texas has approved a long list of other qualifying conditions, giving more people hope that they can live with less pain and other serious discomforts and disabilities.
Additionally, the PCP and patient need to evaluate how valuable traditional therapies are for the entire course of an illness or chronic condition. For instance, is it viable for someone to take opioid pain relievers for a long time? Plus, how much loss of function or level of discomfort is a patient willing to live with? The answers are subjective, of course, but so important in deciding to pursue alternative therapies, such as medical marijuana in Texas.
Conditions Which May Warrant Use of Medical Marijuana in Texas
Here are some examples of health issues that may qualify you for medical marijuana:
- Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
- Neurodegenerative problems, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, ALS, and Multiple sclerosis
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
- End-stage cancer and cancer treatments
- Spasticity
- Diabetic neuropathy
Is There a Medical Marijuana Doctor Online Near Me?
TXCannMD is fully prepared to serve adult patients who think they may benefit from low-THC medical marijuana. We invite you to learn more about the qualifying process by texting our office at (512) 601-5926. We will set up a telehealth appointment with one of our doctors so you can discuss the particulars of your medical condition, your desired treatment goals, and how medical marijuana could benefit you.