{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/texas/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_2209-markdown","title":"In Texas, Patients Deserve Access to Medical Marijuana","slug":"in-texas-patients-deserve-access-to-medical-marijuana","content":"While medical marijuana legalization is sweeping the country, Texas is\ndigging its heels in. In the fight to legalize the drug across the\nnation, Texas has historically demonstrated an extreme unwillingness,\nwhile the majority of the other 49 states have been much more open. In\nthe past, Texas has been known for flexing its conservative views enough\nto throw young people found possessing marijuana in prison for lengthy\nsentences. Fortunately, the tides there have begun to turn recently.\n\nWhile the changes have come in the form of baby steps (legalized\ncannabis oil to treat people suffering from epilepsy, for example),\ntoday's Texans overwhelmingly support the legalization of medical\nmarijuana. [71% of\nTexans](http://www.khou.com/story/news/local/texas/2016/02/29/new-poll-texans-favor-more-medicinal-use-marijuana/81093508/)\nstate that they would vote to expand cannabis treatments. This does not\nhold true for recreational marijuana, however, which only 41% of voters\nare willing to support. So what does the future of medical marijuana\nlook like in one of the country's most conservative states? Here's what\nyou need to know:\n\n**The Benefits of Medical Marijuana**\n\nThe benefits of medical marijuana are well-known and far-reaching. From\nhelping to alleviate nausea resulting from [cancer\ntreatments](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/5596a4413264380006220000/kicking-cancer-and-chemotherapy-symptoms-with-cannabis)\nto soothing\n[anxiety](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/567ae9091efbc3000c000015/cannabis-helps-women-cope-with-stress-and-anxiety)\nand\n[depression](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55c101d766653800060c0000/depression-sufferers-find-relief-in-medical-marijuana),\nmarijuana has long been known for its ability to treat a large\nassortment of medical disorders. In January of 2016, my organization,\nHelloMD, conducted [a patient\nsurvey](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/hellomd-news/HelloMD_Medical_Marijuana_Patient_Survey.pdf)\nthat made the many benefits of medical marijuana even more evident. The\nstudy surveyed more than 17,000 patients and received a response from\n1,400 over the course of seven days. I currently believe that this is\nthe largest and most wide-reaching medical marijuana patient survey\npublished to date.\n\nWhile the benefits of medical marijuana have never been any secret to\nus, the survey proved just how important it is to consumers, and\nprovided a wealth of information that Texas could do well to take note\nof. The results? 84% of survey respondents state that cannabis relieves\ntheir symptoms. 66% of consumers are using medical marijuana as the\nprimary treatment for their medical problems. 64% of respondents rely on\nthe daily use of cannabis for the treatment of their symptoms, and 28%\nuse cannabis on a weekly basis.\n\nDespite this high number of consumers and regular pattern of medical\nuse, there were no reports within the survey of negative consequences\nbrought about by cannabis use, and 96% of consumers reported being\nhighly likely to recommend the use of medical cannabis to others seeking\nimproved health and wellbeing.\n\n**Providing Access: The Importance of Telehealth**\n\nThe users in our HelloMD survey live around the country and some utilize\nmedical marijuana treatment through the Telehealth system. Unfortunately\nonly patients living in California can utilize the Telehealth system for\nmedical evaluations. Other all others states restrict access and force\npatients to travel in person to see a physician. In Telehealth medicine,\npatients can meet with a doctor via a virtual consulting platform like\nSkype. After the meeting, the patient receives a medical marijuana card\nin the mail. Telehealth care is [rising to\nprominence](http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140308/MAGAZINE/303089979)\naround the country as a way to make quality doctors and care available\nto patients in rural or restricted areas, but it is especially important\nin the fight to bring medical marijuana access to all patients.\n\nIn states like Texas, which is large and mostly rural, access to\nTelehealth medicine is critically important if marijuana is legalized\nfor medical purposes. Because Texas is a very conservative state, it's\nlikely that the stigma surrounding medical marijuana use would\ndiscourage many patients from getting in their cars and visiting a\nphysical clinic located in a major city. Additionally, Texas is such a\nlarge state that the mere mechanics of access would be prohibitive for\nmany patients, specifically those who are elderly or physically disabled\n([200 counties in the\nstate](http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/06/02/408513139/texas-put-brakes-on-telemedicine-and-teladoc-cries-foul)\nare vastly medically underserved, and 12 more only have one primary care\ndoctor).\n\nFinally, it's likely that, even if medical marijuana was fully legalized\nin the state, the traditional medical community wouldn't warm up to the\nprospect immediately. These things would make it incredibly difficult\nfor patients to access the medical marijuana care they needed.\n\nDespite the importance of Telehealth for improving patient access,\nhowever, Texas has not supported innovations in Telehealth medicine in\nthe past. The state is currently embroiled in a battle over the legality\nof access to Telehealth medicine. While lawmakers aren't outlawing it\nentirely, they are placing severe limitations on it that can make it\nharder for rural patients to access the care they need.\n\n**What Texas can Learn from California**\n\nAs Texas continues to face the issue of medical marijuana legalization,\nit stands to learn a great deal from states like California, where\nTelehealth laws dating to 2011 provide full patient access. As it stands\nnow, [thousands of patients throughout the\nstate](http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/healthcare/19179-telehealth-aims-to-boost-medical-cannabis)\nhave access to high-quality medical care from the comfort of their\nhomes. In addition to having significant impacts on patient access, this\nalso provides numerous benefits, such as relief from [anxiety and\nchronic\nstress](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/55fc4eea3063390006b90000/cannabis-for-anxiety-and-stress-disorders).\nIn addition to making access to quality care easier for disabled, rural,\nor elderly patients, comprehensive Telehealth laws also allow patients\nwho may be struggling with stigma or embarrassment to get the care they\nneed. While the future of medical marijuana in Texas is facing a rocky\nand lengthy road, it's clear that the expansion of elehealth medicine in\nthe state is one of the few reliable ways to provide medical marijuana\ncare to all Texans who need it.\n\n[Photo Credit](https://www.flickr.com/photos/peacebird/16999376230/in/photolist-rUbfiC-qBZ7fb-cK8vXj-7WEzGg-4bXW4S-78eHCD-x1guL4-9XafQf-7hqxbA-8Q3RTH-CXAVJ-8TKAe-64cjHx-4RfDWs-8vY712-6MSBGQ-cEr5T1-pa57EK-8TK5e-zL2wm-hLmaJT-9rXfpX-zL2y5-yJuJw-hLmbw4-sfX4XD-55Tt9p-zL976-pPWKSw-s1vVgH-sgHH1u-b57Dsx-8TKxb-8TKgK-sRUcZE-2EbHpo-s67b3y-oXQMEK-4dR4dE-cHtRPE-64kCr5-4RvF9u-cjDJDJ-zL8fY-gkyCq-6gxppq-sjhpuT-jcniv-skiewW-s4dtih)\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/ee604/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.png","srcSet":"/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/69585/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.png 200w,\n/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/497c6/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.png 400w,\n/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/ee604/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.png 800w,\n/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/4c5c8/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.png 1004w","srcWebp":"/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/58556/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/61e93/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.webp 200w,\n/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/1f5c5/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.webp 400w,\n/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/58556/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.webp 800w,\n/static/973c727d605dc535e7244a415955b0c5/eddbc/d668cccb487b8ee2450b284b43720d79.webp 1004w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":1,"currentPage":1,"id":5832,"name":"Texas","slug":"texas","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}