“In just two months, Texans suffering from intractable epilepsy will be able to purchase a type of medicinal cannabis approved by the state. The dispensary itself is located outside a rural Texas town better known for its dancehalls, polka music and kolaches.
Austin mom Katie Graham, sips coffee at a café on the city’s Northwest side. She’s just sent her son Elliott off on a school field trip and now nervously monitors her cell for texts alerting her that her son has suffered another seizure.
‘There’s always a high level of anxiety and stress. Every single moment, every phone call, you never know if that’s that one call from school … even at night we don’t sleep very well because there’s always that anxiety,’ Graham explains.”
Although the program is limited to a single condition – “intractable epilepsy” and a single form of ultra-low THC medicine (based on CBD), the state has already received 150,000 doctor-recommended applications from patients and caretakers, indicating demand is high.
We’re not yet counting Texas as a state with a full program, though this is a large scale pilot implementation.
“…many Schulenburg business owners were reluctant to share their views about the medical cannabis oil being produced and sold in their own backyard.
Others like Roy Smrkovski, owner of the City Market, a barbecue joint/meat market, right in the heart of town welcomes the idea.
‘I don’t believe in essence of smoking weed and driving and doing stuff like that. It is for medicinal purposes, why suffer, why go through life and suffer?” Smrkovski says.
Smrkovksi, whose wife suffers from chronic pain says he would be in favor of the state passing a full medical cannabis law that allows a doctor to recommend its use for any condition.”
And indeed, from our reading, there will be another full scale push for a broader law in the next Texas legislative session.
Much more (detail and local Texas color) in the article.
TRUCE is pleased to welcome another contingent of patients into legal medical cannabis’ increasingly large tent.
#MMJ #TXpol #UTpol #AccessNotExcuses #UtahNext #TRUCE
http://ift.tt/2g8jDIu [10/9/17]
See full article – Texas’ First Medical Cannabis Dispensary Set To Open In December | Houston Public Media