Public opinion is changing on the subject of medical cannabis in the Lone Star State, according to Texas Original — a leading dispensary with locations in Manchaca and Houston.
On Thursday, the cannabis company revealed that a survey conducted by Baselice & Associates, Inc. illustrated that 64 per cent of Republican primary voters in the state supported legalizing medical marijuana prescribed by health professionals for treatment of severe medical conditions.
The survey also showed that 72 per cent of Republican voters in Texas agreed that physicians should be permitted to write prescriptions for medical cannabis as an effective alternative to opioid medicines for the treatment of chronic pain.
Photo via Texas Original
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Baselice is a Texas-based national research organization that has orchestrated projects related to a broad spectrum of topics and issues. The company claims to have conducted over 28,000 quantitative and qualitative research projects within the last 28 years.
“These survey results show that large majorities of Texas Republicans favor the use of medical marijuana for serious medical conditions, including for the treatment of patients with chronic pain,” said Michael Baselice, President at Baselice & Associates.
Texas Original is a leading licensed medical cannabis producer with a passion for harnessing the medicinal properties of pot plants.
The company cites that Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics show that 75 per cent of approximately 92,000 deaths attributed to drug overdoses in 2020 were linked to opioids. What is even worse is that the Texas Medical Association reported an 18 per cent rise in the number of drug overdoses between 2020-2021.
Those statistics can theoretically be linked to the rising approval rates for medical cannabis in the state.
“I was prescribed six pharmaceutical drugs, including opioids, following my cancer treatment. By accessing medical cannabis, I didn’t have to use any of them,” said Dorothy Paredes, a three-time cancer survivor and Austin resident.
“Medical cannabis drastically reduced my post-treatment symptoms and aided my healing process—including helping me manage loss of appetite, pain and nausea. I want every Texan experiencing these symptoms to have access to safe, legitimate alternatives to opioids,” she added.
Today, the Texas Compassionate Use Program (CUP) that designates prescription approval does not list chronic pain as an eligible condition allowing one to receive medical cannabis. According to Texas Original, physicians in the state will typically use over-the-counter painkillers and opiate medications to remedy pain.
In order to be an eligible CUP patient in Texas, you must have been diagnosed with cancer, an incurable neurodegenerative disorder, PTSD or health conditions known to cause seizures such as epilepsy.
Texas original was one of three licensed medical cannabis distributors in the state that contributed to the list of questions on the Baselice & Associates survey.
