DPS

"DPS" refers to a state Department of Public Safety, which in a handful of states plays a regulatory role in cannabis programs. Texas DPS, through its Regulatory Services Division, administers the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) under Tex. Health & Safety Code ch. 487 and Tex. Occ. Code ch. 169. Texas DPS maintains the Compassionate Use Registry of Texas (CURT), licenses dispensing organizations, and regulates low-THC cannabis products (originally ≤0.5% THC; expanded by statute). HB 46 (2025) authorized 12 additional dispensing-organization licenses, with DPS awarding 9 conditional Phase I licenses in December 2025 and 3 more by April 1, 2026, and expanded qualifying conditions to include traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, IBD, and palliative/hospice care. Texas is also notable for being the only U.S. jurisdiction whose medical cannabis statute uses the word "prescribe" (rather than "recommend"), a state-law terminology choice at tension with federal scheduling. In other states, DPS or state-police agencies typically have law-enforcement rather than licensing roles (e.g., Arkansas State Police, Idaho State Police). *→ See also: MED, OCM, Prescription, Qualifying condition