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Largest provider of medical cannabis in Texas opens first location in Houston
Texas Original, the state’s largest medical cannabis provider opened its first medical marijuana store Wednesday in the Heights. FOX 26’s Natalie Hee shares the story.
HOUSTON - Houston’s first medical marijuana store is now open along Houston Avenue in the Heights.
Texas Original is the state’s largest medical cannabis provider.
The store marks the first and only permanent pickup location for medical cannabis in the area.
For Lora Taylor, the access and convenience will be life-changing for her daughter Julie, who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy. Julie was prescribed medical cannabis five years ago to help control her seizures.
"She is on two different types. I think in the month before we started, she had 95 seizures that month and then when we started in September of 2017, she had two," Taylor said.
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Medical marijuana was legalized in the state under the Texas Compassionate Use Act in June 2015 for intractable epilepsy.
In 2022, more than 100 neurodegenerative disorders now qualify in the state including cancer, PTSD, Autism and Alzheimer's.
Texas Original CEO Morris Denton said interested patients can simply register online or schedule a virtual consultation on site.
"They can visit our website at Texas Original and there is a 'get a prescription' tab, that's there that they can hit, and that'll lead them to a doctor that's registered within the Compassionate Use Registry. A doctor then can see them virtually just like we're talking on the phone and get them enrolled in the program," Denton said.
Texas Original provides a full suite of products from gummies, tinctures, and lozenges.
However, according to Denton, state regulations prevent the store from carrying any extra cannabis products aside from what's ordered for pickup each day. Repeat violations could result in the business shutting down.
"We're only allowed to store inventory in our single location outside of Austin, so it's really prohibitive and negatively impacts the patient who needs access to the medicine quickly.
But because of state regulations, you know we're forced to every morning, load up a car in Austin, and drive to Houston in order to provide medicine to patients," Denton said.
Denton said he hopes changes are eventually made to the state restrictions so more patients can have easier access to medical cannabis.
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