PRODUCTS and MEDICINES:
TCUP Product Overview & Detailed List
TEXAS COMPASSIONATE USE PROGRAM (TCUP)
‘You can all go to hell, and I will go to Texas’ for some edibles.
Yes, in Texas currently under TCUP only ingestible medical cannabis products are allowed.
The following are several different types of products TCUP patients can currently access.
1) Tinctures – cannabis extracts or extracted oils are formulated to contain up to 1% THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), typically with another carrier oil and are presented in a tincture bottle with a graduated dropper.
2) Gummies – chewy, sticky soft candy that can contain up to 10mg (milligrams) of THC per serving.
3) Lozenges – hard candy also formulated to contain up to 10mg of THC per serving
4) Mouth spray – cannabis extracts formulated into a mouth spray format, allowing application sublingually (under tongue) or buccally (into cheek wall).
5) Capsules – capsules can be swallowed, if one is adverse to cannabis oil taste, but it goes directly into the digestive system.
6) Lotions – topical creams and oils formulated to contain cannabinoids and other moisturizing, soothing ingredients.
Below is a detailed table with all of the currently available TCUP products from two licensed Texas medical cannabis producers:
THE THREE CANNABINOID AMIGOS….for now.
Cannabis plants contain many known phytocannabinoids. The two best studied phytocannabinoids - THC and CBD - have well documented therapeutic properties. As one can see form the list above, currently TCUP patients have access to only three phytocannabinoids – THC, CBD (cannabidiol), and CBN (cannabinol). These cannabinoids have overlapping and distinct mechanisms of action and therapeutic effects. The only preparation currently available with CBN targets sleep dysfunctions, which is an emergent property of CBN. Thus, the current list of products and the dominant cannabinoids indicates that there is not a great variety of strains grown that produce other phytocannabinoids, like acidic cannabinoids – THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), or CBG (cannabigerol), THCV (tetrahydrocannabidivarin) and others.
In addition to cannabinoids, current TCUP products also contain terpenes. Certain terpenes found in cannabis flowers and extracts have their own medicinal properties. Unfortunately, pertinent information like the amount or concentrations, or the source of terpenes is not listed on current products. It is hard to tell what therapeutic value terpenes may have when ingested in the form of cannabis oil, or if it is rather serving a botanically sourced flavoring agent. The entourage of molecules – cannabinoids and terpenes in the final products do matter and as the market matures it will become more relevant to consumers as well.
It is clear that TCUP patients could benefit from additional cannabinoid and terpene formulations and with the relatively fast growth in TCUP patient registry, new products will come around as well. Three amigos for now, but soon there will be more!
Copyright 2021 © by Adendox, LLC and Dr. Jokubas Ziburkus PhD aka Dr. Z