The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Regulatory Services Division (RSD) announced Jan. 16 that officials are now accepting applications for new Compassionate Use Program (CUP) dispensing organization licenses.
Applications for the new medical cannabis dispensary licenses can be submitted using the RSD’s form.
The application window will close at 5 p.m. CT on April 28.
Those who previously applied for a cannabis retail license can reapply with an updated application form, and application fees will be waived for applicants who are reapplying.
The DPS plans to announce a detailed process for accepting and approving the applications at a later time, and officials have not indicated how many licenses they will issue.
According to the announcement, “The department will issue only the number of licenses necessary to ensure reasonable statewide access to, and the availability of, low-THC cannabis for patients registered in the compassionate-use registry.”
Texas passed a medical cannabis law in 2015, and currently has three licensed dispensaries authorized to sell low-THC cannabis to patients registered in the state’s Compassionate Use Program.
The program expanded in 2021, when Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation to expand the qualifying conditions to include cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
As of December 2022, there were 43,056 patients enrolled in the Compassionate Use Program, according to a DPS report.
