Cancer and cannabis: Why Texas needs medical marijuana “I am using weed to help with my nausea. I feel much better.”
Hearing these words from a terminally ill cancer patient at one of the largest cancer center in a state, Texas, where use of marijuana is still illegal was surprising. It was intriguing to encounter this sixty year old lady with terminal breast cancer, which had spread to her bones and other organs. After trying different therapies to help with side effects of chemotherapy drugs, she and her husband decided to try cannabis. They consulted an oncologist in a nearby state where medical marijuana is legal and moved there eventually to be able to use marijuana under supervision for her health concern.
Regulations on the use of marijuana differ among the different states in the United States. The state of Texas has not legalized recreational use of Marijuana. Possession of any amount of marijuana is punishable. For example, possession of <2Oz or sale of just 7g Marijuana can lead to 180 days of imprisonment and a fine up to $2,000. 23 states in the U.S till today have passed law legalizing medicinal use of marijuana and Texas is not one of them. In such situation, if a patient possesses marijuana in Texas for medicinal purpose as in the above case in, it will be deemed illegal and the patient will arrested on the charges of…show more content… These are prescription drugs used in treatment of pain, cancer therapy related nausea, to stimulate appetite etc. Smoked marijuana is not FDA approval for medicinal use. So far, 23 states have passed laws legalizing use of smoked marijuana for medicinal purpose. These laws allow an individual with written document from physician or state issued certificate stating he or she would benefit from medical marijuana. The state of Texas is not included in this list of 23 states which have legalized medical