No. Marijuana is not yet legal for recreational or medical use in the State of Texas. As such, marijuana dispensaries are not currently operating in Odessa. The sale and distribution of marijuana are illegal as Texas considers marijuana a controlled substance under its Controlled Substances Act.
No. Medical marijuana dispensaries do not exist in the City of Odessa. While the state permits the sales of low-THC cannabis by authorized dispensaries, no such licensed establishments are located in the City of Odessa.
Odessa is not currently home to any online dispensaries for recreational or medical cannabis. If you want medical cannabis, you can purchase it from approved Texas dispensaries and have your orders shipped to your address.
At this time, there are no permanent dispensaries within the city limits. However, the three state-approved dispensaries sometimes operate mobile or temporary prescription fill-up sites in Texas jurisdictions. If such a site is operated in the city, it is mandatory to present both a valid prescription for medical cannabis and a government-issued identification document displaying your age and name to fill your prescription at the location.
While Odessa does not have dispensaries within its borders, any temporary mobile dispensaries or pick-up locations operating in the city must adhere to state laws. As regulated by the Department of Public Safety, only individuals with valid medical cannabis prescriptions under the Texas Compassionate Use Program may be allowed to purchase products. These dispensing locations must also track sales and ensure patients stay within their prescribed limits.
The following laws per the recreational use and possession of cannabis are in effect in Odessa:
Possession of small amounts of weed (less than 2 ounces) is considered a Class B misdemeanor and may attract a fine of up to $2,000 and 180 days in jail
Possession of 2 ounces or more of cannabis is considered a felony and can result in a fine of up to $50,000 and 2-10 years in prison
The sale or distribution of any amount of marijuana is a felony and may attract a fine of up to $50,000 and 2-20 years in prison
Cultivation of marijuana plants is illegal and considered a felony offense
Despite the relatively minor penalties attached to possessing small amounts of cannabis, the use and possession of any amount of marijuana is illegal
Per medical cannabis in Odessa, the laws are in line with the state's strict regulations. Unfortunately, medical marijuana is not widely available in Odessa, except for patients who qualify under the Compassionate Use Act (SB 339). Approved in 2015, SB 339 allows doctors registered in the Texas Compassionate Use Program to prescribe low-THC cannabis to patients with certain qualifying conditions. The state’s Occupation Code defines low-THC cannabis as cannabis products that do not have more than 1% THC.
To get your hands on this limited supply of medical cannabis under the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), you must enroll in the Compassionate Use Registry (CURT) and get a medical cannabis prescription. The registry keeps track of individuals allowed to participate in the program and how much cannabis each patient is permitted to possess. However, growing your own cannabis at home is not allowed, and being impaired while driving is also not permitted. Note also that the program does not extend to out-of-state patients.
Getting medical cannabis in Texas is different than in other states. The Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) only requires participants to have valid prescriptions issued by physicians approved under the program. But before you can get a medical cannabis prescription, you must enroll in the Compassionate Use Registry (CURT).
To qualify for CURT enrollment, you must be a permanent Odessa or Texas resident and have one of the approved conditions for medical marijuana use, such as:
Spasticity
Cancer
Autism
Epilepsy
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Multiple Sclerosis
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Seizure disorder
An Incurable neurodegenerative disease
Your TCUP-approved physician will need to issue a certification that you have one or more of the conditions listed. You can find a TCUP-approved physician using the Texas Department of Public Safety's list of certified healthcare practitioners.
Once your physician enrolls you in the CURT, you will be issued a prescription for low-THC cannabis, which you can use to purchase the products. If you are a minor, your physician may add your caregiver or legal guardian's information to the CURT. By adding your caregiver’s information to the CURT, the individual may legally purchase or administer cannabis for a minor.
Cannabis use for recreation is illegal in private and public locations in Odessa. Persons who have legally purchased low-THC cannabis for medical use may consume it in private Odessa homes and properties. It is illegal to use medical cannabis in public locations in the city.
There are permanent locations for cannabis dispensaries in the city. Firstly, the sale of recreational cannabis is illegal and may not be carried out by any person or business in the city. However, Odessa-registered patients in need of low-THC cannabis can still place orders online from one of the three dispensaries approved by the state. These dispensaries are not based in Odessa but can still deliver orders to Odessa buyers.
You can have your order delivered to your doorstep or pick it up from a temporary prescription pick-up location. You will need to show a government-issued ID with your name and age to collect your order.
While Odessa residents cannot purchase recreational cannabis, obtaining medical cannabis (with low-THC content) is possible through online dispensaries. Prices for these products can vary per dispensary, with a bottle of low-THC cannabis oil often being offered for between $70 and $90.
Odessa residents have access to cannabis strains with low psychoactive capabilities. These strains must contain no more than 1% of THC per state regulations. As a result, the majority of products available for purchase are derived from hemp plants, which naturally contain lower levels of THC. Hence, unlike in other states where medical marijuana is legal, you cannot find high cannabis strains in Odessa, such as OG Kush, Banana OG, Afghan Kush, and AK-47.
No. Per Section 8-1-26 of the Odessa Code of Ordinances, it is unlawful for any person to smoke marijuana within the city's corporate limits. Smoking cannabis in public locations is typically a misdemeanor offense. Persons found guilty of this misdemeanor are liable to be fined up to $2,000.
The amount of medical marijuana a patient can purchase is determined by their prescribing medical professional and is tailored to their individual needs. Hence, possession limits differ from patient to patient and are included in patients' medical cannabis prescriptions.
No. Transporting cannabis beyond state borders is a criminal offense in Odessa. Cannabis shipping is prohibited, even for those registered in Texas' Compassionate Use Registry, as the federal government still classifies cannabis as a controlled substance.
Odessa currently has no brick-and-mortar dispensaries offering cannabis for either recreational or medical use. However, residents can still obtain medical cannabis by placing an order online with any of the three approved dispensaries in the state. Such orders may be delivered to the addresses of the buyers.
No. There are no 24-hour dispensaries operating in Odessa.
Tourists in Odessa will not find cannabis dispensaries in the city, as there are no permanently located dispensaries there. While mobile dispensaries may be set up occasionally to fulfill orders for low-THC cannabis, these services are off limits for out-of-state visitors. As per state regulation, only permanent residents of Texas can legally purchase medical cannabis in Odessa.
Yes. Obtaining low-THC cannabis online requires a valid prescription for medical cannabis and a government-issued ID complete with your name, date of birth, and part of your social security number. This applies to both home deliveries and pickup from dispensing locations, even though there currently are no permanent physical dispensary locations within the city.
Purchasing cannabis from a traditional storefront in Odessa is not currently an option, as the sale of cannabis is prohibited by Texas law. However, Odessa residents can still obtain low-THC cannabis online by ordering from one of the state's three approved dispensaries: Goodblend, Texas Original, or Fluent.
To ensure that only authorized individuals can purchase low-THC cannabis products, dispensaries selling low-THC cannabis to Odessa residents may verify the identity of buyers by scanning their government-issued IDs. This is a requirement set by the state of Texas for its approved dispensaries to ensure that only those named on medical cannabis prescriptions can make a purchase. Hence, potential mobile dispensaries in Odessa will comply with this regulation.
None of Texas's authorized dispensaries have a permanent facility in Odessa. However, Odessa residents may buy low-THC cannabis online from these dispensaries.
Due to the legal landscape surrounding marijuana, cannabis dispensaries in Odessa have adopted a cash-only policy. This is because, at the federal level, cannabis is classified as a prohibited substance. Credit card companies, which abide by federal laws, do not allow their services to be used for marijuana transactions. Consequently, it is typical for marijuana dispensaries to only accept payment in the form of cash.
While in Odessa, patients are not limited by any laws on the number of cannabis dispensaries they can visit in a day. They are monitored through the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas when buying low-THC cannabis products. Patients cannot purchase more cannabis than specified in their prescriptions.
No. Despite the approval of cannabis for restricted medical use in Odessa, federal laws still classify marijuana as a restricted drug. Since insurance companies are bound by federal laws, they cannot provide coverage for cannabis-related purchases. This is because cannabis is still classified as an illegal substance under the Controlled Substances Act. Therefore, you cannot use health insurance to pay for these transactions.
To ensure compliance with regulations, all sales of low-THC cannabis must be closely monitored in Texas dispensaries. This applies to mobile dispensaries, temporary prescription pick-up facilities, or other cannabis-selling establishments that might operate in Odessa. These strict tracking measures are implemented to prevent patients from acquiring more than the amount of cannabis prescribed and ensure possession limits are not exceeded.
Currently, Odessa does not have any permanent dispensaries within city limits. However, medical cannabis patients who are 18 or over and have valid prescriptions issued through the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) can visit temporary or mobile dispensaries or prescription pick-up sites in the area (when such sites operate in the city). Minors with prescriptions for medical cannabis must have their prescriptions filled by a parent or legal guardian.
Odessa's cannabis regulator is the Texas Department of Public Safety. You can contact the DPS at:
Texas Department of Public Safety
5805 North Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78752-4431
OR
PO Box 4087
Austin, TX 78773-0001
Odessa residents may report illegal cannabis activities within the city limits to the Odessa Police Department at (432) 333-3641. Also, Odessa residents may file complaints to the Criminal Investigations Division of the Texas DPS by calling (844) 643-2251.