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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and cannabis in Texas

The state explicitly lists this condition under its medical cannabis program. A certifying physician can pursue state registration for a patient with this diagnosis under the program rules.

Listed qualifying condition
✓ Yes
LEGAL
Physician-prescribed lo…
POSSESSION
$0/yr
STATE FEE
1–7 d
TIMELINE
Listed qualifying condition. The state explicitly lists this condition under its medical cannabis program. A certifying physician can pursue state registration for a patient with this diagnosis under the program rules.

Texas statute and program

The Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) is the operating authority for Texas patient certification. The authoritative legal text is: Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 487: Compassionate-Use Program.

What the evidence says about cannabis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to loss of voluntary muscle control. Symptoms typically include muscle weakness, spasticity, fasciculations, dysphagia, and respiratory compromise. Most patients survive 2–5 years from diagnosis.

For the full evidence base, including the NASEM tier, randomized trial summaries, and symptom-domain breakdown, read the mmjnow Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) page.

How to qualify in Texas

The Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) requires the following registration steps for a Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patient (or any qualifying diagnosis):

  1. See a TCUP-registered Texas physician. The Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) operates as a physician-prescription model rather than a patient-card model. A Texas-licensed physician registered with the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT), with board certification in a relevant specialty for one of the qualifying conditions, must determine that the patient has a qualifying condition under Health & Safety Code Chapter 487 and prescribe low-THC cannabis (cannabis with ≤1% THC by weight).
  2. Prescription is entered into CURT. There is no separate patient registration step. The TCUP physician enters the prescription directly into the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT), which is administered by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The patient does not file a separate application, does not receive a state-issued medical cannabis card, and pays no state registration fee.
  3. No state patient fee. Texas does not charge a patient registration fee under TCUP because there is no patient registration; the prescription IS the access mechanism. The patient pays only the physician’s certification fee and the dispensing organization product cost. Caregivers are designated through CURT and pay no separate state fee.
  4. Pick up the prescription from a Texas dispensing organization. Texas has three licensed dispensing organizations under TCUP. The patient presents a Texas driver license or state ID matching the CURT prescription record to pick up low-THC cannabis products (oils, tinctures, gummies, lozenges, topicals — no flower, no inhalable vapor, no products over 1% THC by weight). Texas does not honor out-of-state medical cards; prescriptions are valid for renewal as determined by the TCUP physician.
State registration fee
$0
Physician visit (typical)
$200–$400
Certification to card
1–7 days
Out-of-state patients
Not eligible
Minors
Eligible with caregiver

For full Texas registration steps, fees, and reciprocity rules, see the Texas cannabis-laws page.

ICD-10 code

A certifying physician documenting Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) for the Texas medical cannabis program will typically record ICD-10 G12.21 or SNOMED-CT 86044005 in the patient's record. The state registry does not itself collect ICD-10 codes in most programs, but the physician's chart is the audit trail if the certification is later reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Does Texas list Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?

Yes. Texas explicitly lists Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) as a qualifying condition under Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP). A patient with a documented Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis can pursue state-program certification with a physician registered in the state. The qualifying-condition list is set by state statute or regulation and may change. Inclusion on the list does not guarantee certification — a physician still has to evaluate the patient and decide that medical cannabis is appropriate for that specific case under Texas rules.

How do I get a Texas medical marijuana card for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?

Step one is finding a physician licensed in Texas who is registered with Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) and willing to evaluate Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) cases. Step two is collecting your records (diagnosis documentation, treatment history, and the ICD-10 code your physician will use) and bringing them to the certification visit. Step three is the physician's certification through the state registry, followed by the patient registration application, state fee, and waiting period before the card is issued. Texas does not honor out-of-state cards, so the certification process has to originate inside the state. The state minimum patient age is No statutory minimum; minors generally require a parent or legal guardian to act as caregiver. Confirm the current process with the state regulator before applying, because the rules change.

What does the evidence say about cannabis for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?

For Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), evidence is described as limited (a small number of supportive studies, often underpowered or focused on narrow symptom domains). The mmjnow condition page for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) lays out the current evidence base, including the citations underlying that evidence tier — typically the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus reports, federal agency guidance, and peer-reviewed reviews. Evidence quality is independent of state law: a state can list a condition for which evidence is limited, and a state can decline to list a condition for which evidence is strong. Patients deciding whether to pursue medical cannabis for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) should review the underlying evidence (linked on the condition page) and discuss expected benefit, dosing, and risk with a clinician familiar with both Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and cannabinoid pharmacology. Cannabis is not a substitute for evidence-based first-line treatments for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); the evidence position above describes whether trial data supports its use, not whether it should replace standard care.

Sources

  1. Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 487: Compassionate-Use Programaccessed May 15, 2026
  2. NORML: Texas Laws & Penaltiesaccessed May 15, 2026
  3. Wikipedia: Cannabis in Texas (legislative history backlinks)accessed May 15, 2026
  4. TX Health & Safety Code §481.121: Possession of marijuanaaccessed May 17, 2026
  5. Texas Senate Bill 3 (2025): Hemp consumable products restrictionsaccessed May 17, 2026
  6. Texas Department of State Health Services: Compassionate Use Programaccessed May 17, 2026
  7. City of Austin Proposition A (May 2022) — cannabis cite-and-release ordinanceaccessed May 17, 2026
  8. NASEM: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids (2017)accessed May 15, 2026
  9. ALS Association: Cannabis and ALSaccessed May 15, 2026