Randall County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Randall County?

The licensed cultivation of low-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) medical cannabis in Randall County was legalized by the Texas Compassionate Use Act or Chapter 487 of the Health and Safety Code of the State of Texas, which was effective in 2015 and had amendments in 2019 and 2021. Low-THC cannabis has only 1% or lower THC content according to the definition of Section 169.001 of the Texas Occupations Code’s Chapter 169. Counties and municipalities are prohibited from banning low-THC medical cannabis cultivation by Section 487.201 of the Texas Compassionate Use Act.

The Compassionate Use Program (CUP) of the state is under the Regulatory Services Division (RSD) of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), which handles low-THC medical cannabis licensing and regulation.

There is only one type of license granted by the RSD. That is the medical cannabis dispensing organization license. According to Texas Administrative Code’s Chapter 12, the licensee has authorization for low-THC medical cannabis cultivation, product manufacturing, and retail selling exclusively to the patients and caregivers included in the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT). All these activities must be done in just one facility site. Applications for the medical cannabis dispensing organization license, however, were no longer accepted after April 28, 2023.

Directors, managers, and employees of licensed medical cannabis dispensing organizations are required to register with the RSD. Licensees must ensure that a separation of not less than 1,000 feet exists between any of their medical cannabis facilities and a school or daycare facility.

Medical cannabis dispensing organization licensees must abide by all regulations of the Texas Agriculture Code and Administrative Code Title 4 Part 1 of the Texas Department of Agriculture. Texas Administrative Rule §12.31 requires the indoor cultivation of low-THC medical cannabis, indoor manufacturing of low-THC medical cannabis products, and indoor storing of low-THC medical cannabis and its products in all forms. All these must be done in a building that is fully enclosed and windowless or with securely barred windows. All doors must be made of metal and must have heavy locks.

A fire and security system must be established in all licensed medical cannabis dispensing organization facilities, compliant with local government standards and connected directly to the county or municipal authorities for immediate emergency response. The system must be armed with alarms, sensors, and continuously recording video surveillance. Recorded videos must be in safekeeping for a minimum of 90 days. The system must have the capacity to run for a minimum of five minutes after a power outage occurs.

Cultivation and manufacturing sections of licensed medical cannabis dispensing organization facilities must be accessed only by authorized staff, and only throughout operational hours. The arrival and departure of any authorized visitors must be documented. They must be required to wear a visitor’s badge throughout their stay and must always be accompanied by facility personnel. After business hours, low-THC medical cannabis in any form must not be seen by the public.

A licensed medical cannabis dispensing organization is allowed to have a facility in a building that is shared with other businesses but, in such cases, there must be no access to the facility from any of the other businesses. The licensed medical cannabis dispensing organization facility must have an exclusive entrance directly from outside the building.

The establishment of an inventory tracking system is required for all licensed medical cannabis dispensing organization facilities, to monitor all stocks of low-THC medical cannabis in any form and their movements. Any cannabis waste must be dealt with in compliance with relevant regulations.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Randall County?

The licensed manufacturing of low-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) medical cannabis products in Randall County was legalized by the Compassionate Use Act of the State of Texas and its amendments. No county or municipality may ban low-THC medical cannabis product manufacturing, but a medical cannabis dispensing organization license from the RSD is required. All previously discussed requirements and regulations must be complied with.

Texas Administrative Code Chapter 12.7 addresses the following requirements specifically for the licensed manufacturing of low-THC medical cannabis products:

1. The licensee must observe all municipal, county, state, and federal codes on businesses, buildings, fire safety, electricals, plumbing, occupancy, air quality, odors, noise, advertising, and similar nuisances.
2. The licensee must use only potable water to manufacture low-THC medical cannabis products.
3. The licensee must ask a state-licensed professional engineer to certify that the low-THC medical cannabis extraction system it uses has been manufactured commercially according to recognized codes and engineering practices, and is safe to use.
4. The licensee must have low-THC medical cannabis extraction done only by RSD-registered personnel who are trained to do it properly.
5. The licensee must have random samples of all low-THC medical cannabis products it manufactures tested for THC and cannabidiol (CBD) levels and any contamination in compliance with the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 16, Part 1107, the Texas Department of Agriculture Administrative Code Title 4 Part 1, and the Texas Agriculture Code.
6. The licensee must package all low-THC medical cannabis products in child-resistant containers.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Randall County?

The licensed retail selling of low-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to CURT-registered patients and caregivers in Randall County was legalized by the State of Texas Compassionate Use Act and its amendments. A county or municipality is not allowed to ban low-THC medical cannabis retail, but a retailer must have a medical cannabis dispensing organization license from the RSD. All requirements and regulations mentioned earlier apply.

There is an additional security requirement for licensed low-THC medical cannabis retail stores to have their surveillance video cameras within the facility positioned so as to record the faces of all CURT-registered patients and caregivers making a purchase.

Licensed low-THC medical cannabis retail stores are not allowed to sell any form of low-THC medical cannabis meant to be smoked because Texas Occupations Code Chapter 169 Sec. 169.001 does not include smoking as an acceptable method of low-THC medical cannabis administration. Licensed retailers are allowed to sell low-THC medical cannabis in all other forms as long as the THC content is at a maximum of 0.5% while the CBD content is at a minimum of 10%.

Section 487.107 of the Compassionate Use Act, Chapter 12 §12.31 of the Texas Administrative Code, and the rules of the DPS require licensed low-THC medical cannabis retail stores to do the following before and after every sale:

1. Ask for the purchaser’s valid ID issued by the government and containing the purchaser’s last name, birth date, and last five social security number digits, and check if the purchaser is registered on the online CURT.
2. Check whether the intended purchase falls within the patient’s prescription on the online CURT.
3. Check on the online CURT that the prescription for the current period has not yet been filled fully.
4. Record the date and time of the sale on the online CURT.
5. Record the sold low-THC medical cannabis forms, quantities, and prices on the online CURT.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Randall County?

The DPS states that registered personnel of licensed medical cannabis dispensing organizations are allowed to deliver medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to CURT-registered patients and caregivers in Randall County.

Texas Administrative Rule §12.32 mandates that delivery must be made in a vehicle that has a security system. It must have an attached and locked compartment accessible only to the delivery staff.

Licensed low-THC medical cannabis dispensing organizations must do the following before and after every delivery:

1. Create a trip plan prior to delivery, detailing the name of the delivery staff, the destination and planned route of the delivery, the product type and quantities to be delivered, and the date and time the delivery started.
2. Upon completion of the delivery, update the trip plan with any changes done to the route, the quantities of low-THC medical cannabis delivered, and the time the delivery was completed.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Randall County

Residents of Randall County do not need a medical cannabis card to purchase low-THC medical cannabis and low-THC medical cannabis products for medical treatment. They can be registered in the CURT for free by a CUP-registered physician who has diagnosed them to have one of the following illnesses:

• Autism
• Epilepsy
• Cancer
• Spasticity
• Multiple sclerosis
• Seizure disorders
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Incurable neurodegenerative diseases

Patients may do a physician search online. There were no CUP-registered physicians in Randall County as of July 2023, though. A qualified physician in a nearby county may be consulted instead.

If the patient is below the age of 18 or is an incapacitated adult, the physician will state the need for a caregiver on the CURT. The names, birth dates, and last five social security number digits of both the patient and the caregiver must be posted by the physician. This information must be contained in a valid government-issued ID to be presented by the registered patient or caregiver at the licensed low-THC medical cannabis retail store.

Inquiries may be sent to the following:

Texas Department of Public Safety

Compassionate Use Program - MSC 0240

PO Box 4087

Austin, TX 78773-0240

Landline: (512) 424-7293

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Randall County?

The FY 2019, FY 2020, FY 2021, and FY 2022 Annual Reports of the DPS showed that three medical cannabis dispensing organizations have been licensed so far in the State of Texas. In accordance with the Texas Administrative Code RULE §12.14, the following must be paid by each of them:

The Texas Compassionate Use Act and its amendments do not mention taxation.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Randall County

Medical cannabis was legalized in Randall County in 2015.

Data sent by the Randall County Sheriff's Office to the Crime Explorer page of the FBI shows that in 2014, a year before the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 59 marijuana possession arrests and one marijuana sales arrest, totaling 60 marijuana offense arrests.

In 2016, a year after the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 66 marijuana possession arrests, comprising all marijuana offense arrests.

In 2019, there were 49 marijuana possession arrests and one marijuana sales arrest, totaling 50 marijuana offense arrests.

In 2021, the latest data showed no arrests for marijuana offenses.

The number of DUI arrests during those years was as follows:

• 2014: 166 arrests
• 2016: 180 arrests
• 2019: 149 arrests
• 2021: 17 arrests