Texas and those who live here have always marched to their own drum beat, so it makes sense that the Lone Star State hasn’t been as swept up in the swelling tide of cannabis legalization. Yet, even as many Texans rebel against the idea of legalizing weed, many more are curious about this cultural change and attracted by the opportunity to experience something new.
Whatever your political stance on cannabis, you might be interested in sampling some of this special drug to form a more knowledgeable opinion. To do this safely and legally, you can make one of two moves:
Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card
In 2015, Texas lawmakers passed the Texas Compassionate Use Act, which was the first legislation permitting cannabis use in the Lone Star State since prohibition in 1931. The Compassionate Use Act initially stated that only those suffering from severe epilepsy would be granted access to low-THC oil — products with .5 percent THC or less. Fortunately, in 2019, Texas legislators expanded the Compassionate Use Act to allow patients suffering from additional conditions, like terminal cancer, autism, multiple sclerosis, ALS and various uncurable neurodegenerative disorders, to access low-THC oils, as well.
Texas’s medical marijuana program is among the strictest in the country, but if you do qualify for it, you might as well get your card. Though the low THC products available in Texas through the medical marijuana program are unlikely to provide the all-over high that marijuana famously generates, you can at least benefit from the medical effects offered by the drug without leaving this great state.
Then again, many other states will honor your medical marijuana card at their medical dispensaries. Through a policy called reciprocity, many states accept the recommendations of another state’s medical professionals and health boards. Therefore, even if you can’t get your hands on marijuana through Texas’s Compassionate Use Act, you can still use your Texas marijuana card to access various cannabis products at medical dispensaries nearby.
States close to Texas that have reciprocity include Arkansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, but you can also journey a bit farther and visit Arizona or Nevada to access medical cannabis products. Every state’s reciprocity regulations are a bit different, so you should look into the rules of your destination state before you plan your trip.
Visit a State With a Recreational Policy
Thus, you might need to travel out of state for your marijuana experience. Fortunately, there are more states than ever with legal recreational programs, so you won’t need to book a flight for halfway around the world to sate your cannabis curiosity. Perhaps the closest place with legal weed is Arizona, which enacted recreational regulations in 2020, but if you want to make your first toke a true weed adventure, you absolutely should travel to California’s Bay Area, which is the world capital of cannabis culture.
On your trip, you can visit a San Jose dispensary, explore the Haight-Ashbury district which was home to the country’s first headshop, tour a cannabis farm in Napa and generally soak up the counter-culture cannabis community of the region. Though it might not be a good idea to bring weed-infused souvenirs home to friends and family, you can make plenty of marijuana memories on your cannabis-centered California vacation.
Bonus: Pressure Texas Lawmakers to Legalize Weed
Finally, if you believe that Texas cannabis laws are unjust — because they restrict your personal freedom to consume cannabis, because they place unfair penalties on a relatively safe and unobtrusive pastime, because they cost taxpayer money and inhibit economic growth or because of some other reason — you should participate in pro-cannabis activism in your state. You should get in contact with your local and state representatives to voice your concern over current cannabis law. You might also connect with cannabis activist communities around you, like the Texas chapter of NORML or the Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, who can provide greater direction and organization for your effort.
It is natural to be curious about cannabis, but Texas isn’t particularly forgiving for possession or use of pot. If you are convinced that you need to consume weed at least once in your life, you can try any of the above solutions to do so safely and legally.