Happy Birthday

Texas’ first medical marijuana dispensary celebrates 6 years this October

Medical marijuana products are also produced locally in Texas.

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

This month, the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary will celebrate six years of serving the Lone Star State.

Texas Original planted its first cannabis seeds on October 31, 2017, at its facility in South Austin, and has since helped bring medical marijuana to thousands of Texans.

Texas Original opened the first medical marijuana dispensary in Texas in 2018, paving the way for thousands of Texans to legally access this medicine. Now, just six years later, the state's Compassionate Use Program has become far more accessible for millions of Texans.

So what exactly is the Compassionate Use Program, and how can Texans get medical marijuana? The process is easier than you think.

Legal medical marijuana in Texas
The Texas Compassionate Use Program was signed into law in June 2015, originally allowing medical marijuana treatment only for patients with intractable epilepsy.

Since then, the program has expanded several times and now covers more than 150 qualifying conditions, including:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Spasticity (muscle spasms)
Cancer
Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
Peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain)
Alzheimer’s and other dementias
Parkinson’s
Autism
Multiple sclerosis
ALS
And over 150 neurodegenerative conditions

In addition to covering over 150 qualifying medical conditions, the state also increased the THC limit in 2021. This raised THC cap means that Texans can now legally access regulated, medical-grade cannabis products at practical therapeutic doses.

How to get a prescription
Millions of Texans qualify for medical marijuana, and getting a prescription can be completed in a few steps.

First, find out if you qualify by scheduling an appointment with a doctor registered in the Compassionate Use Program.

Several registered doctors offer convenient virtual appointments through telemedicine practices so patients can meet with the doctor from anywhere in Texas. To set your appointment, visit Texas Original’s website and fill out the form.

Next, meet with the doctor. During your 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, where it can be accessed by licensed dispensaries.

After your appointment, it’s time to place an order. Visit Texas Original’s website or call 512-614-0343 to place your first order.

Texas Original offers the state’s leading medical-grade cannabis products, including Texas' first fast-acting medical cannabis gummies.

Medical marijuana gummies You can consume medical marijuana in gummie form.Photo courtesy of Texas Original

So what’s the difference between medical marijuana and hemp?
Some Texans might be wondering why they should bother with obtaining a medical marijuana prescription, given the wide availability of hemp-derived Delta-8 and Delta-9 products at gas stations, smoke shops, CBD stores, and online.

With fewer regulations, some over-the-counter hemp products pose risks for consumers due to inconsistent potency, purity, and processing methods.

Newer products like Delta-8 are often synthesized by dissolving CBD in solvents that can pose additional risks to consumers without adequate testing or regulations.

In contrast, medical marijuana products are stringently regulated under the state’s Compassionate Use Program.

All medical-grade products are rigorously tested to ensure quality, purity and consistency. Medical marijuana products are also produced locally in Texas, where the quality of medicine is maintained and tested from seed to sale.

Texans can learn more about the Compassionate Use Program and get a medical marijuana prescription here.

health promoted

Astrodome's new vision

New proposal to save the Astrodome calls for shops, restaurants, and more

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

A new plan for renovating the Astrodome has emerged.

The Houston Astrodome is both the city’s crown jewel and a rotting albatross depending on which direction you view it from. To address the ongoing problem of what to do with the facility, the Astrodome Conservancy has unveiled Vision: Astrodome, the latest bold plan to repurpose the dome by turning it into a small city-within-a-city with four inner buildings and walkable green spaces.

“Our 8th Wonder of the World is as Houston as it gets,” says Abbie J. Kamin, Houston City Councilmember from District C. “This historic protected landmark, filled with generations of memories and a legacy of iconic sports and music, is woven deeply into our hearts and our heritage. I am grateful that the Astrodome Conservancy has found a path forward to not only save the Dome but provide an economic asset Houstonians can enjoy year-round.”

Here's the vision. There will be a central event space on the dome floor. Four building will surround it, offering restaurants, retail shopping, and offices. The plan should result in 450,000 square feet of revenue generating space, all within the confines of the dome itself.

In addition, a connecting boulevard will move visitors throughout the area. This plan is based on New York City’s Highline, a raised walkway built on an old viaduct that opened in 2009 and has become a template for repurposed city architecture across the nation. Not only will the dome boulevard connect the various structures inside the dome, but also lead to the other buildings in NRG Park.

Built in 1965, the Astrodome is one of the most iconic sports stadiums still standing in the world. It was the first domed stadium, ushering in a new era of air-conditioned sports entertainment that earned it the nickname 8^th Wonder of the World. Muhammad Ali fought in the dome, it hosted Wrestlemania, the famous “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match took place there, and it was of course the longtime home of the Houston Oilers, Houston Astros, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

When it closed in 2008 (and failed to meet fire code the next year), no one quite knew what to do with it. Ken Hoffman, writing in 2019, called it “puny and old, an embarrassing, dingy public eyesore” next to the shiny new NRG Stadium. In 2013, the city held a referendum on spending $217 million to renovate the dome, which failed and seemed to doom the dome to the wrecking ball.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett started a campaign to save the dome, leading to a long and protracted discussion on what was best for the city. On the one hand, the Astrodome is a fully paid-for asset of Harris County and an iconic landmark to boot. On the other hand, no one could agree on what to do or how to pay for it. The dome waited.

In 2016, the Astrodome Conservancy was formed as a private nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing the dome. To date, they have raised $3 million toward the project, which is still a drop in the bucket when it comes to remodeling the space. Two years later, Harris County Commissioners court approved $105 million to raise the floor and turn the dome back into an event space. Progress was again halted under Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who questioned whether renovating the dome was a wise use of the county’s money. The county currently spends $150,000 to $400,000 to maintain the empty dome.

So, what will Vision: Astrodome cost and where will the conservancy get it? The answer to the first question is currently: don’t know. The answer to the second question is: don’t know, but . . .

Vision Astrodome is meant to be a “conversation starter” between the major stakeholders in NRG Park according to official press documents. That likely means the conservancy is hoping to leverage economic interest and city pride to raise the money from the Houston Texans and the rodeo. Both have a contract with the county that gives them priority at NRG Park until 2032 and are unlikely to approve anything that threatens the parking situation in the complex.

The rest will likely come from Harris County itself, paid for through taxes and hotel fees. Houston refused to foot the bill in 2013, but nostalgia may have turned the hearts of the populace since then, especially if Houston can get a first-class facility out of the deal. Until then, the dome sits as it has for 15 years, watching the city pass it by.

Rendering courtesy of Gensler

A new plan for renovating the Astrodome has emerged.