20-mg THC gummy is first in Texas

An Austin-based dispensary is the first in Texas to offer an increased dose of THC in its medical marijuana gummies.

Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation has launched a 20-milligram, THC-only gummy as a way to reduce the number of gummies that high-dose patients need to take.

The gummies come in a strawberry passion flavor with no CBD included.

Because THC products currently sold in Texas are 10 mg and less, patients who have been prescribed high doses may need to take 10 to 20 gummies per day.

Texas caps the percentage of THC in medical marijuana products at 1 percent, so with lower-dose products, patients also ingest larger amounts of sugar, tapioca and other byproducts that must be included to not exceed that limit, said Morris Denton, CEO of Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation.

Texas’ medical marijuana laws restrict the amount of THC by weight in products, but it doesn’t limit how much THC a physician can prescribe or how much a patient can consume.

“It is like if the government put a restriction on Advil and said there can only be a certain amount of ibuprofen in it, and now instead of taking two pills for a headache, you have to take 15 to get the same dose,” Denton said. “It is just unnecessary.”

The 20-mg gummies have been in the works for about six months. Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation said it consulted with its medical advisory board, which includes some of the top doctors across Texas, to formulate the higher-dose, fast-acting gummy.

In September, Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation conducted a focus group involving veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who used the higher-dose gummies for about 120 days. Denton said the company received favorable feedback about the product and that taking fewer gummies throughout the day was easier for customers.

“Any time we have the opportunity to reduce someone’s suffering from whatever symptoms they have is a good day for us,” Denton said. “These gummies are a big win for us and a big win for the state of Texas.”

So far, the higher-dose medical marijuana is only available in the gummy form, but Denton said it may expand to other products.

The new gummies are available in 15 count for $100.