Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 487 limits cannabis dispensing to a small number of state-licensed Compassionate Use Program providers. There are no recreational dispensaries anywhere in Texas, and cities cannot license additional ones.
Chapter 487 of the Texas Health & Safety Code created the Compassionate Use Program (CUP), administered by the Department of Public Safety. Only licensed dispensing organizations may cultivate, process, and dispense low-THC cannabis to patients with qualifying conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, ALS, and certain cancers. Texas has issued just a handful of licenses statewide, and these dispensaries deliver products to patients across the state rather than operating retail storefronts in every city. Recreational dispensaries are illegal. Local zoning may apply to a CUP licensee's facility, but cities cannot authorize unlicensed cannabis retail.
Operating an unlicensed cannabis dispensary is a felony controlled-substance offense under Chapter 481, with penalties scaling by quantity and prior offenses.
See how Stafford's dispensary zoning rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.