Medical Marijuana Card in San Antonio, TX: How to Qualify
If you live in San Antonio or anywhere else in Bexar County and have a qualifying condition, you can get low-THC cannabis through the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP). A physician licensed in Texas and registered with the program enters your prescription in the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT), which the Texas Department of Public Safety runs [1].
Texas does not issue a plastic card. “Medical marijuana card” is simply what most people type into a search bar; the state record is your prescription in the registry. The program is the same across Texas, so there is no need to drive to Austin or Houston: the appointment happens online, and the physician decides whether cannabis fits your condition.
In short
Pain, seizures or PTSD in San Antonio, and still hearing “it’s illegal in Texas”?
Maybe it is back pain that has outlasted three rounds of physical therapy. Maybe it is a child’s seizures, or nights that end at 3 a.m. years after a deployment. You have tried what was offered, and you have read that cannabis may ease symptoms like yours.
Then the advice stops making sense. A coworker says Texas has no medical program at all. An old article promises a card in the mail within a week. Hemp and delta-8 shops sell gummies across town with no doctor involved. And somewhere in the back of your mind is the question of what your employer would think.
Here is the plain version. Texas has a legal medical path. It runs through a physician and a state registry, it now covers a longer list of conditions than it did a few years ago, and you can start it from home in San Antonio.
Before anything else, see whether your diagnosis is on the Texas list of qualifying conditions.
Is medical marijuana legal in San Antonio, Texas? Texas rules at a glance
Yes, in one form. Medical use of low-THC cannabis is legal in San Antonio for Texas residents who hold a prescription through the Compassionate Use Program. Recreational use is not legal anywhere in Texas, San Antonio included [1].
| Topic | What Texas law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Medical low-THC cannabis only, through TCUP Recreational use is not legal in Texas | [1] |
| THC limit | Up to 10 mg of THC in each dosage unit Set by HB 46, in effect since September 1, 2025 | [3] |
| Forms | No smoking. Products are swallowed, absorbed under the tongue or through the skin, or inserted Inhaled aerosol or vapor only when the physician finds it medically necessary | [3] |
| How much you can have | The low-THC cannabis in your prescription Cannabis outside a prescription is still a crime in Texas | [4] |
| Growing at home | Not allowed Only licensed dispensing organizations cultivate | [4] |
| Cards from other states | Not accepted Prescriptions are for permanent Texas residents | [5] |
| Who runs the program | Texas Department of Public Safety Through the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT) | [1] |
For possession penalties and the rest of the state picture, see our guide to Texas cannabis laws.
No plastic card in Texas: how a CURT prescription works for San Antonio patients
In many states a patient applies to the health department and waits for a card. Texas works differently: there is no application for you to file and no card to wait for.
The Compassionate Use Registry of Texas is run by the Texas Department of Public Safety, not by a health department [1]. Only a physician registered with the program can write into it. After your appointment, if the physician finds that the risk of low-THC cannabis is reasonable next to the likely benefit for you, they enter the prescription in the registry [5].
People often search for a “medical marijuana license in San Antonio.” No license is issued to patients. The registry entry plays that role, and a licensed dispensing organization finds it by your personal details when you fill the prescription.
Want to see it from the patient side? See how the Texas appointment works.
City of San Antonio, Bexar County and Joint Base San Antonio: whose rules apply to you?
State law is the same in every part of Bexar County. What differs from place to place is how local smoking and policing rules work, and whether you stand on state or federal ground.
Texas law: the same across Bexar County
The Compassionate Use Program and the Texas criminal code apply the same way in San Antonio, Leon Valley, Converse or any other part of Bexar County. A prescription in CURT covers the low-THC cannabis you were prescribed. Cannabis without a prescription remains illegal under state law [4].
No city or county office runs a patient program, issues a card or charges a local fee. Everything goes through the state registry.
City of San Antonio: what the city has and has not changed
San Antonio voters looked at local decriminalization in May 2023. Proposition A, a six-part charter amendment, included a part that would have limited enforcement of low-level marijuana possession. It failed, so the city charter has no decriminalization rule [6].
The San Antonio Police Department may issue a citation instead of an arrest for possession of up to 4 ounces, but only for Bexar County residents and only when no other serious charge applies. The citation goes to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office [7], so it is still a criminal case. From July 2025 through June 2026, SAPD recorded 3,018 encounters for possession of up to 2 ounces; 1,122 of them ended in cite and release, and the rest were custodial arrests [8].
The city smoking ordinance covers any heated plant product meant for inhalation, and since January 1, 2025 it covers vaping devices as well [9][10]. If your physician prescribes a vapor product, it is off limits in enclosed public places and workplaces, in city parks, trails and plazas, on the River Walk, at Market Square and in La Villita [11]. Under the version of the code the city posts online, a first conviction carries a fine of up to $200, a second up to $500 and later ones up to $2,000 [9].
Statewide penalties are in our Texas cannabis law guide.
Joint Base San Antonio: federal ground
Joint Base San Antonio, which takes in Fort Sam Houston, Lackland and Randolph, is federal property. Federal law still treats marijuana as a controlled substance, and a Texas prescription does not change that on base.
Keep low-THC products off JBSA entirely, including in a car you drive through the gate. If you serve or work there, read the section for veterans and military families before you book anything.
New patient, veteran, parent, renewing or just moved to Texas: where should you start?
Pick the line that sounds like you. Each one jumps to the part of this guide written for that situation, and each of those parts ends with a next step.
Can I get a medical marijuana card in San Antonio, Texas? Who qualifies
You can if you are a permanent Texas resident with a condition on the state list and a Texas physician registered in CURT agrees that low-THC cannabis is reasonable for you [5]. Four things decide it.
What to bring: a photo ID. Records that mention your diagnosis help the physician understand your history, so gather what you have. They support the conversation; the physician makes the decision.
Before the appointment: what do you already have?
Mark each line. Nothing is sent anywhere; the list only shows what is left to prepare.
ready
Mark each line to see what is left before the appointment.
- Get a Texas ID that shows your current address. The Texas DPS Driver License Division handles new IDs and address changes.
- Compare your diagnosis with the Texas list. If it is still unclear, the physician will tell you at the appointment.
- Ask your doctor’s office or patient portal for recent visit notes. They help; the physician decides how much is needed.
- Plan a quiet hour and test your camera and microphone. If something does not work, our support team can help.
- Pick a time when the parent or legal guardian can join, and read how minor patients register.
When you are ready: get your Texas medical card.
Which conditions qualify for low-THC cannabis in Texas? Check your diagnosis
Texas law names the conditions, and a physician confirms yours at the appointment. Since September 1, 2025 the list reads as follows [5][3]. Filter it by the kind of condition you have.
- Epilepsy
- Seizure disorder
- Multiple sclerosis
- Spasticity
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Autism
- Incurable neurodegenerative disease, for example Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s
- Traumatic brain injury
- Cancer (any type)
- A terminal illness, or a condition treated with hospice or palliative care
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- A condition that causes chronic pain
- Crohn’s disease or another inflammatory bowel disease
- A condition approved for a state research program under Health and Safety Code chapter 487 [4]
Intractable migraine, which the 2023 version of this page listed, is not on the Texas list. Source: Texas Occupations Code §169.003 as amended by HB 46.
Not sure your diagnosis fits? A CURT-registered physician will tell you at the appointment: book with a Texas physician.
Veteran or military family in San Antonio: PTSD, VA care and base rules
Many readers in Military City USA are veterans, spouses or people who work on base. The rules differ sharply depending on which of those you are, so it helps to sort them out before you book.
- PTSD has been on the Texas list since 2021, when HB 1535 added it [5]. Our Texas PTSD page covers that condition in detail.
- VA clinicians do not recommend or prescribe cannabis, so the prescription comes from a Texas physician outside the VA who is registered in CURT [12].
- The VA states that taking part in a state medical cannabis program does not cost a veteran VA benefits, and it asks veterans to tell their VA clinician about any use so care stays coordinated [12].
For veteran programs at Dr. Weedy, see the veterans page.
What can low-THC cannabis do for pain, seizures or PTSD, and what does the research say?
Research supports some uses better than others. The best-known summary is the 2017 review by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [13]. It looked at cannabis and cannabinoids in general; products under the Texas program are low in THC, and fewer studies look at them directly.
Stronger evidence of symptom relief
- Chronic pain in adults
- Nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy (oral cannabinoids)
- Muscle spasticity reported by people with multiple sclerosis
Limited or too little evidence
- PTSD symptoms
- Epilepsy treated with general cannabis products
- ALS and Parkinson’s disease symptoms
One medicine sits outside the program. Epidiolex, a purified CBD drug, is approved by the FDA for seizures in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome [14]. It is a prescription drug filled at a pharmacy, not a TCUP product, and the two should not be confused.
The therapeutic potential is real for some people and modest for others. That is why the decision belongs to a physician who knows your history, not to an article.
Each page in our conditions library goes deeper into the studies for one diagnosis.
Oils, capsules, vapor or patches: what Texas permits, side effects and what to ask about dosing
Texas law rules out smoking. Low-THC products may be swallowed, absorbed under the tongue or through the skin, or inserted, and an aerosol or vapor may be inhaled only when the physician finds it medically necessary [3]. Choose a form below to see how it works and what to ask. None of this is a dosing recommendation.
Oil or spray under the tongue
- How it enters the body
- Held under the tongue, part of each dose is absorbed through the lining of the mouth and the rest is swallowed.
- What applies to this form
- The swallowed part passes through the liver before it reaches the blood, so the effect can keep building for a while after the dose.
- Questions to bring to the physician
- How much of my product is one dose? How long should I wait before deciding whether it worked?
Capsules and edibles
- How it enters the body
- Swallowed, absorbed in the gut and processed by the liver before it reaches the blood.
- What applies to this form
- The effect starts later and lasts longer than with inhaled forms. Taking a second dose because the first one “has not worked yet” is a common way people end up with too much.
- Questions to bring to the physician
- How long should I wait before any second dose? Does food change how it works for me?
Topicals and patches
- How it enters the body
- Creams and balms act mostly where they are applied. Transdermal patches are built to carry the active ingredients through the skin into the bloodstream.
- What applies to this form
- A patch works throughout the body, so the same cautions as for swallowed forms apply to it. A local cream mostly stays local.
- Questions to bring to the physician
- Is a local product or a whole-body patch meant for my symptoms? What should I do if the skin gets irritated?
Vapor
- How it enters the body
- A heated aerosol is inhaled into the lungs. Texas allows it only when the physician finds it medically necessary [3].
- What applies to this form
- There is no smoke, but the warm aerosol travels through the same airways, which matters with asthma or another lung condition. The San Antonio vaping ban in public places applies (city rules).
- Questions to bring to the physician
- Why would I need an inhaled form rather than one I swallow? Does my lung health rule it out?
Some things apply to every form. THC can make you sleepy or lightheaded, it can interact with other medicines that the liver processes, including some seizure drugs, blood thinners and sedatives, and it slows reaction time. Tell the physician about everything you take.
The form and the dose are a conversation with your physician: book with a Texas physician.
Low-THC prescription or a delta-8 shop in San Antonio: why they are not the same thing
Hemp and delta-8 stores are easy to find in San Antonio, and many people assume they sell the same thing as the state program. They do not. The difference is who looks at your health before THC enters the picture.
Who decides
With a TCUP prescription
A Texas-licensed physician, after an appointment about your condition
At a hemp or delta-8 shop
You do, without any medical review
THC per dose
With a TCUP prescription
Capped at 10 mg of THC in each dosage unit [3]
At a hemp or delta-8 shop
Set by separate hemp rules, not by a prescription
Who licenses the seller
With a TCUP prescription
Texas DPS licenses each dispensing organization [1]
At a hemp or delta-8 shop
A retail store, not a TCUP dispensing organization
What the city requires
With a TCUP prescription
Filled only by a state-licensed organization
At a hemp or delta-8 shop
Since November 2025 the city zones these stores like vape shops, at least 1,000 feet from schools and day care centers unless City Council approves otherwise [16]
Neither path is a product recommendation. A prescription means a physician has weighed your diagnosis, your medicines and your risks first.
A prescription starts with a diagnosis: check the Texas list of conditions.
Can you see a medical marijuana doctor online from San Antonio? What a “420 evaluation” really is
Yes. Texas law lets physicians licensed in the state treat patients through telemedicine [17], so a CURT-registered physician can see you while you stay home in San Antonio. This is the one place we spell it out: the appointment is a telemedicine visit over a secure connection.
You may have seen ads for a “420 evaluation” or a “420 doctor.” It is a search term, not a kind of medical service. Under TCUP it means an ordinary appointment in which a physician reviews your diagnosis, your medicines and your history and decides on medical grounds alone.
What you need: a phone or computer with a camera and microphone, your photo ID, and about 15 minutes for the appointment itself. The order form takes about five minutes. If a link will not open or nothing happens at your time, write to support from your account; your bookings are listed under appointments in your account.
Across 250 reviews from patients in the states where we are licensed. We do not sort them by score and do not hide the low ones.
- 150,000+patients evaluated – everyone who has been through an appointment with us, in every state where we are licensed
- Since 2017doing only this: online evaluations for medical cannabis programs, and nothing else on the side
When you are ready, start on the Texas medical marijuana card online page.
Medical marijuana doctors in San Antonio, Texas: how to check CURT registration and a TMB license
Any physician who writes a TCUP prescription must hold a Texas medical license and be registered in CURT [5]. Both facts are public and take a minute to check. Check them for any service you consider, ours included.
Texas Medical Board license
Search the physician’s name. Check that the Texas license is active and look for any board actions.
CURT registration
Confirm that the physician is registered as a TCUP prescriber. The registry is run by Texas DPS.
We do not name other clinics or physicians on this page. Dr. Weedy physicians and their credentials are on our physicians page.
How to get a medical marijuana card in San Antonio, step by step
Five steps, and only the first two take any preparation on your side.
-
Step 1Check your diagnosis
Compare it with the Texas list and gather whatever records you have. Your condition is the reason for the appointment.
-
Step 2Book with a Texas physician
Fill in the short form on our Texas page, about five minutes, and agree on a time with a Texas-licensed, CURT-registered physician.
-
Step 3Have the appointment
About 15 minutes online. The physician asks about your condition, the treatment you have tried and the medicines you take, then makes a decision.
-
Step 4The physician enters your prescription in CURT
If low-THC cannabis is right for you, the prescription goes into the state registry. You file nothing with the state, and no card arrives by mail.
-
Step 5Fill the prescription
Go to or order from a licensed dispensing organization and show your photo ID.
The next step is an appointment with a Texas-licensed physician.
Get your Texas medical cardWhat happens after the physician approves you in San Antonio?
There is no extra state application after an approval. Here is what to expect, and what to do if something does not line up.
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Right after you book
A confirmation email arrives with your appointment details. If it is not in your inbox, check spam, then look under appointments in your account.
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After the appointment
If the physician approves, they enter your prescription in CURT and you get an email confirming it. You do not mail or upload anything to the state.
-
When you fill the prescription
Bring a photo ID with the same name and date of birth you gave when you booked. The licensed dispensing organization looks you up in the registry.
Need a different time for the appointment itself? You can change it under appointments in your account.
How long does a Texas low-THC prescription last, and how do you renew it from San Antonio?
A TCUP prescription is written for a limited period, which the physician sets in the registry. Renewal is not automatic. It is another appointment, where the physician looks at how treatment has gone and decides whether to continue.
Book the renewal before the current prescription ends, so there is no gap. The details and the renewal form are on our Texas renewal page.
Parent of a child with epilepsy or autism in San Antonio: how do minor patients and guardians register?
TCUP has no minimum age. For a patient under 18, a parent or legal guardian takes part in the appointment and in registration, as the state program provides [1].
Epilepsy has been part of the program since 2015 and autism since 2019 [5]. You can read more about epilepsy and autism in our conditions library.
Whether a child gets a prescription is a medical decision. The physician weighs the diagnosis, the treatments already tried and the other medicines the child takes, and may ask for notes from the child’s neurologist or pediatrician.
Parents book on the same Texas page and join the appointment with the child.
Jobs, CDL/DOT, firearms and driving: what a TCUP prescription protects in San Antonio, and what it doesn’t
A Texas prescription protects one thing: possession of the low-THC cannabis you were prescribed. It does not change federal law, your employer’s policy or the rules of the road. Open each line for the details.
Work and drug testsNot protected
Texas law gives TCUP patients no protection against workplace drug tests, and private employers can apply their own policies. Ask HR how a prescription is treated before you start.
City of San Antonio employeesNot protected
Administrative Directive 4.3 sets zero tolerance for a positive drug test, with termination as the result, and its list of controlled substances includes marijuana. CDL and primary drivers are tested at random, and employees must report in writing any medicine that may impair their work before they start duty [18].
CDL and DOT jobsNot allowed
The U.S. Department of Transportation does not accept a state medical cannabis program as an explanation for a positive test in safety-sensitive jobs, commercial drivers included [19].
FirearmsFederal conflict
Federal law bars an unlawful user of a controlled substance from having firearms, and the federal purchase form asks about marijuana use whatever state law says [20]. Courts are still testing this rule; talk to a lawyer before you buy or carry.
DrivingNot allowed impaired
Driving while impaired by any substance is an offense in Texas, prescribed or not [15]. Plan your doses around the days you drive, and ask the physician how long to wait.
Privacy of the registryLimited access
CURT is not a public list. The Health and Safety Code limits who may see registry records, such as the prescribing physician and the dispensing organization filling the prescription [4].
TravelTexas only
The prescription works only inside Texas. Do not carry low-THC products across state lines or through an airport, where federal rules apply.
More legal questions are answered on our Texas FAQ page.
Booking with Dr. Weedy from San Antonio: cost, refund terms and the next email
Booking starts on our Texas page: a short form, then a time agreed with a Texas-licensed physician. The current Texas price and the terms of our money-back guarantee sit there, next to the order button, so this guide does not repeat numbers that could go out of date.
After you book, a confirmation email arrives with your appointment details. After an approval, a second email confirms the registry entry. Both are also kept in your account.
Medical marijuana in San Antonio: FAQ
Is there a medical marijuana license in San Antonio, Texas?
No. Texas does not issue licenses or cards to patients. A CURT-registered physician enters your prescription in the state registry, and that entry is what counts.
Is there a medical marijuana dispensary in San Antonio?
How can I get a medical marijuana card near San Antonio without driving?
Book online with a Texas-licensed, CURT-registered physician. The appointment takes about 15 minutes from home, and nothing has to be filed in person.
Does a medical card from another state work in Texas?
No. Texas accepts only prescriptions in CURT, and only for permanent Texas residents [5]. If you have moved here, you need a new appointment with a Texas physician.
Can I grow cannabis at home in San Antonio?
No. Home cultivation is not allowed in Texas, with or without a prescription. Only licensed dispensing organizations grow low-THC cannabis [4].
What if I lose my prescription paperwork?
Nothing is lost. The prescription lives in the state registry, not on paper, so bring your photo ID when you fill it. Your confirmation emails stay in your account if you need the details again.
More answers are on our Texas FAQ page.
Texas Compassionate Use Program updates and official resources for San Antonio patients
The program changes with each legislative session, so this guide is checked against the law, not against older articles.
What changed in 2025
- HB 46 was signed on June 20, 2025 and took effect on September 1, 2025 [21].
- It added a condition that causes chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases, and terminal illness or hospice and palliative care to the list [3].
- It set the THC limit at 10 mg per dosage unit and allowed an inhaled aerosol or vapor when the physician finds it medically necessary [3].
- It raised the number of dispensing organization licenses to 15 and allowed approved satellite locations [3].
Who checks this San Antonio guide, and what changed since the 2023 version
The Dr. Weedy medical team reviews this guide; the date of the last review is shown at the top of the page. This rewrite corrected the earlier version:
- The old text promised a digital and a plastic card within days. Texas has no card, so the guide now explains the CURT registry.
- CURT is run by the Texas Department of Public Safety, not by a health department.
- The conditions list follows the 2025 law, and intractable migraine, which is not on it, was removed.
- Subscription plans and mailed hard copies, which do not exist in the Texas program, were removed.
- Each legal fact now points to an official source.
Official resources
Your next step if you live in San Antonio
- Check that your diagnosis is on the Texas list.
- Have a short online appointment with a Texas-licensed, CURT-registered physician.
- If you qualify, the physician enters your prescription in CURT.
The physician makes the decision, and approval is not guaranteed. Already have a prescription? Renew it here. New to Dr. Weedy? See how the service works.
Need a medical card in another Texas city?
This article is for information only and is not medical or legal advice. Eligibility is decided by a Texas-licensed physician at the appointment, and the registry is kept by the State of Texas.
References
21 sources
- 1. Texas Department of Public Safety. Compassionate Use Program. 2026.
- 2. Policy Analysis of The Texas Compassionate Use Program. DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2026.2701928 PMID: 42530572
- 3. Texas Legislature. H.B. 46, 89th Legislature, Regular Session, enrolled version. 2025.
- 4. Texas Legislature. Health and Safety Code, Chapter 487: Texas Compassionate-Use Program. 2025.
- 5. Texas Legislature. Occupations Code, Chapter 169: Authority to Prescribe Low-THC Cannabis to Certain Patients for Compassionate Use. 2025.
- 6. City of San Antonio, City Attorney’s Office. City Charter Election History. 2024.
- 7. San Antonio Police Department. General Manual Procedure 505: Misdemeanor Citation Release. 2019.
- 8. San Antonio Police Department. Cite and Release Program 4th Quarter Report, April 1 to June 30, 2026. 2026.
- 9. City of San Antonio. City Code, Chapter 36: Smoking. 2011.
- 10. San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. Smoking and Vaping Ordinance. 2025.
- 11. City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation. Park Safety and Rules. 2026.
- 12. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA and Marijuana: What Veterans Need to Know. 2025.
- 13. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. 2017.
- 14. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA approves first drug comprised of an active ingredient derived from marijuana to treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy. 2018.
- 15. Texas Legislature. Penal Code, Chapter 49: Intoxication and Alcoholic Beverage Offenses. 2025.
- 16. City of San Antonio Development Services Department. RID 2025-004: Zoning Classification of Consumable Hemp Products Retailers. 2025.
- 17. Texas Legislature. Occupations Code, Chapter 111: Telemedicine and Telehealth. 2025.
- 18. City of San Antonio. Administrative Directive 4.3: Alcohol and Controlled Substances Testing. 2019.
- 19. U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance. DOT Medical Marijuana Notice. 2009.
- 20. Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives. 18 U.S.C. 922: Unlawful Acts. 2025.
- 21. Texas Legislature Online. Bill History: H.B. 46, 89th Legislature. 2025.
