Texas Original Advocates To Expand Compassionate Use Program To Include Chronic Pain

As Pain Awareness Month begins, Texas Original is calling on Texas’ legislature to add chronic pain as a qualifying condition to the state’s Compassionate Use Program (CUP).

The CUP’s current list of qualifying conditions includes cancer, PTSD, epilepsy and hundreds of neurodegenerative diseases but excludes the many other patients who could benefit from the proven power of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain.

“Hardly a week goes by without seeing a headline about the staggering amount of fentanyl crossing the border or increase in opioid overdose deaths. Texas has an undeniable opioid problem that won’t be fixed until prescribing physicians are given more viable options for treating their patients,” said Texas Original CEO Morris Denton. “The ability to effectively treat a patient shouldn’t come with the risk of addiction, yet that’s the harsh reality that doctors and their patients find themselves in every day in Texas. The overprescription of opioids is forcing thousands of Texans to find illicit means of satisfying their addictions once their prescriptions run out. We owe it to our fellow Texans to give them a better alternative. Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent and provable conditions that medical cannabis can positively impact. It’s not a maybe. It’s a certainty. The science is there, the proof is there, now we need the legislature to be there as well.”

Medical cannabis has proven more effective and safer for some patients than prescription drugs. According to a 2021 Harm Reduction Journal study, 38.1% of the 2,841 patients surveyed reported the termination of all prescription drugs when substituting with cannabis. An additional 45.9% cited a substantial decrease in prescription drug use and 65.8% found cannabis much more effective than their prescription.

In Texas, opioids are one of the leading medications prescribed to treat pain, with 17.7 million prescriptions issued annually—equating to more than 63 prescriptions per 100 persons. In July 2022, an observational study released by the Annals of Internal Medicine found that the most common patient-reported condition was chronic pain, accounting for 60.6% of cannabis patients.

“There is an overwhelming body of research that supports prescribing medicinal cannabis to reduce chronic pain,” said Dr. Matthew Brimberry, a board-certified physician, member of Texas Original’s Medical Advisory Board and head of Texas Cannabis Clinic. “In the United States, the No. 1 reason patients seek medical cannabis is to augment their pain management treatment. Due to its successful track record, I strongly believe that the CUP should add chronic pain to the list of qualifying conditions.”

Recent polls from Baselice & Associates, Inc. as well as The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler have also revealed overwhelming bipartisan support for the legalization of medical cannabis. In particular, the Baselice & Associates, Inc. poll found that 72% of Republican primary voters in Texas favored allowing physicians to prescribe medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids for treating chronic pain patients.

“The data is clear. Medical cannabis is a highly effective—and widely supported—method of pain management that has proven safer than current legal options in the market today,” added Denton.

Patients with a qualifying condition can obtain medical cannabis prescriptions through online clinics or local physicians registered with the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas. Texas Original’s high-quality medical cannabis is available through the company’s extensive distribution network. Find a list of statewide pickup sites and operating times on the Texas Original website here. To learn whether you or a loved one qualifies for medical cannabis, visit www.texasoriginal.com/patients.

About Texas Original

Texas Original is the leading licensed medical cannabis producer in Texas, working alongside physicians to provide the highest quality cannabis medicine to patients and families seeking relief across the state. As fellow Texans, we are dedicated to representing the integrity of this great state with our commitment to quality, consistency and purity in every product we produce. We remain committed to advancing safe, legal access to this powerful medicine. Texas Original is headquartered in Austin, with delivery throughout the entire state. For more information, visit www.texasoriginal.com.

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