This month, the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary will celebrate six years of serving the Lone Star State.
Texas Original planted its first cannabis seeds on October 31, 2017, at its facility in South Austin, and has since helped bring medical marijuana to thousands of Texans.
Texas Original opened the first medical marijuana dispensary in Texas in 2018, paving the way for thousands of Texans to legally access this medicine. Now, just six years later, the state’s Compassionate Use Program has become far more accessible for millions of Texans.
So what exactly is the Compassionate Use Program, and how can Texans get medical marijuana? The process is easier than you think.
Legal medical marijuana in Texas
The Texas Compassionate Use Program was signed into law in June 2015, originally allowing medical marijuana treatment only for patients with intractable epilepsy.
Since then, the program has expanded several times and now covers more than 150 qualifying conditions, including:
In addition to covering over 150 qualifying medical conditions, the state also increased the THC limit in 2021. This raised THC cap means that Texans can now legally access regulated, medical-grade cannabis products at practical therapeutic doses.
How to get a prescription
Millions of Texans qualify for medical marijuana, and getting a prescription can be completed in a few steps.
First, find out if you qualify by scheduling an appointment with a doctor registered in the Compassionate Use Program.
Several registered doctors offer convenient virtual appointments through telemedicine practices so patients can meet with the doctor from anywhere in Texas. To set your appointment, visit Texas Original’s website and fill out the form.
Next, meet with the doctor. During your appointment, the doctor will review your medical records and confirm if you are eligible for medical cannabis, then discuss your treatment plan.
Once approved, your doctor will add your prescription to the online medical cannabis registry, where it can be accessed by licensed dispensaries.
After your appointment, it’s time to place an order. Visit Texas Original’s website or call 512-614-0343 to place your first order.
Texas Original offers the state’s leading medical-grade cannabis products, including Texas’ first fast-acting medical cannabis gummies.
You can consume medical marijuana in gummie form.Photo courtesy of Texas Original
So what’s the difference between medical marijuana and hemp?
Some Texans might be wondering why they should bother with obtaining a medical marijuana prescription, given the wide availability of hemp-derived Delta-8 and Delta-9 products at gas stations, smoke shops, CBD stores, and online.
With fewer regulations, some over-the-counter hemp products pose risks for consumers due to inconsistent potency, purity, and processing methods.
Newer products like Delta-8 are often synthesized by dissolving CBD in solvents that can pose additional risks to consumers without adequate testing or regulations.
In contrast, medical marijuana products are stringently regulated under the state’s Compassionate Use Program.
All medical-grade products are rigorously tested to ensure quality, purity and consistency. Medical marijuana products are also produced locally in Texas, where the quality of medicine is maintained and tested from seed to sale.
Texans can learn more about the Compassionate Use Program and get a medical marijuana prescription here.
TEXAS — The 89th Texas Legislature will start on Jan. 14 with 181 lawmakers.
The House of Representatives’ organization will be managed by Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, who will also select temporary officers. The Secretary leads until a Speaker of the House is elected.
Secretary Nelson announced that Walter Fisher and Sharon Carter were appointed as parliamentarians for the House’s session inauguration.
“This is a duo with extensive parliamentary knowledge and the experience to guide the opening of the 89th Legislative Session,” said Secretary Nelson. “With the support of these individuals, we will make sure the organizing of the House is a fair, transparent and orderly process.”
The 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives and the 31 members of the Texas Senate will be sworn in as the 89th Legislature on Tuesday. The legislature will meet until June 2.
You are able to watch the Senate proceedings on opening day at this website.
This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole story.
We’ve created several data-driven stories and databases on topics including weather and climate, politics, education, sports and growth in Texas. Each story in the KXAN Data Hub is updated as new data becomes available.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN is keeping track of the number of homicides in Austin.
As of Jan. 9, two homicides have been reported thus far in 2025.
Last year, 70 homicides were reported, down from 75 in 2023 and 71 in 2022. A record 88 homicides were reported in 2021.
The charts below will be updated as we learn new information. Scroll down for a map of where each homicide occurred.
The chart below shows how the number of homicides reported in recent years changed through the year.
Below is a map showing where homicides occurred in 2025. The map is interactive, so clicking on or hovering over a dot will reveal information about that incident. You can also click on a month in the top left to show only homicides that occurred during that month.
The chart below shows the number of homicides reported each month in 2025.
AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has appointed Andrew (Andy) Maas as the new assistant vice president for technology transfer on the Discovery to Impact team, which works with world-class inventors, investors, creators and entrepreneurs to launch startups and collaborates with established businesses to accelerate new products, services, solutions and cures.
In this role, Maas will lead the University’s research commercialization and innovation initiatives and oversee the protection and commercialization of UT’s intellectual property. Reporting to Mark Arnold, associate vice president of Discovery to Impact and managing director of Texas Startups, Maas will ensure that the University’s innovations transition effectively from academic research to market applications that benefit society.
“Andy is nationally recognized for his expertise in technology licensing and commercialization, and we are pleased to welcome a leader of his caliber to the team,” Arnold said. “We have an ambitious agenda for Discovery to Impact this year — to invest early and strategically in faculty ideas and inventions that will change the world — and there is no doubt that Andy is the right person to help lead the charge.”
Maas joins UT from Louisiana State University, where he most recently served as associate vice president for research, overseeing the office of Innovation and Ecosystem Development.
Maas holds a B.S. from Brigham Young University, an M.S. from UT Austin, and a J.D. and LLM from The University of Akron.
During his career, Maas has built an engineering startup, led within the university and research foundation settings, and currently serves as the board chair of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) – the non-profit leader in supporting professionals in the technology commercialization and research innovation space. In addition, he was the principal investigator on a $160 million National Science Foundation Engine award focused on the Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL). Maas has lectured all over the world about intellectual property valuation, economic impact, technology licensing and technology commercialization.
“This is a homecoming for me in many ways, and it’s a privilege and pleasure to be back on the Forty Acres,” Maas remarked. “Discovery to Impact is one of the premier research commercializing programs in the country, and I look forward to working alongside Mark and the team to propel our groundbreaking faculty ideas forward.”
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