Texas unexpectedly stops process for new medical cannabis dispensaries

Without warning, seven days into the application procedure for medical cannabis dispensaries to apply for permits in Texas, the process was suspended by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The application was relied upon to draw enthusiasm from various organizations and, when approved, lead to increasingly competitive pricing.

Only 3 out of 43 companies which applied to get preliminary licenses in 2017, the minimum mandated by law, were accepted: Cansortium Texas and Compassionate Cultivation, Surterra Texas.

Jax Finkel executive director of Texas NORML said: “I find it concerning that a week into the application process it’s suspended with no notice and no clear communication with doctors, patients or the general public.”

The sudden stop shocked advocacy groups who were keen for the state to continue the medical cannabis expansion. Only months earlier the Legislature had expanded the list of conditions that qualify for the cannabis treatment under the Compassionate Use Program to include seizure disorders; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS; terminal cancer and autism. Prior to that, medical canabis was only available to people with intractable epilepsy who met certain requirements.