Two years in, Utah’s cannabis program has accessibility issues

Since 2020, the state’s medical hashish program has seen substantial progress. An annual report final 12 months discovered that the variety of energetic cardholders more than tripled, and pharmacies within the state greater than doubled.

However regardless of the growth of this system, sufferers are having a tough time accessing the medication attributable to renewal and product prices.

Zachary King lives in Bountiful. Years in the past, he was in a paintball accident that left him with continual ache. He’s been a medical marijuana cardholder for nearly two years now.

King pays out of pocket for his docs’ appointments and medication. He mentioned it’s very costly to entry hashish.

“It is nearly like we’re extra incentivized to return to our prescription drugs than to make the most of the hashish choice as a result of it is simply a lot extra inexpensive with the insurance coverage and with all these different issues,” King mentioned.

That primarily has to do with a provide and demand problem. In Utah, attributable to state regulation, there are a sure variety of allotted suppliers who’re allowed to develop and promote marijuana within the state.

“I am truly to the purpose the place I’ve to resolve whether or not I will pay my mortgage or get my medication,” he mentioned.

Equally, Emily Tucker, a mind tumor affected person, has been a cardholder for nearly two years. She’s turned to medical marijuana to assist cope with ache and nausea.

Tucker lives in Saratoga Springs and drives nearly an hour to get her medication.

She mentioned the standard of the merchandise isn’t as much as requirements and that it’s dear. She as soon as needed to return a number of luggage of edibles as a result of they’d mildew on them.

“This isn’t what we voted for,” Tucker mentioned. “The entry [is] not sufficient [for] individuals who can get this and who might truly profit.”

Christine Stenquist, founding father of TRUCE, a medical hashish advocacy group, mentioned she’s heard related accounts of people who find themselves going through accessibility points. She mentioned there must be actual change with how this system is working. One resolution she advised was to extend the variety of people who find themselves allowed to develop and promote medical hashish.

“I feel we simply want some extra acceptance from our legislators and our regulators,” Stenquist mentioned. “We’re nonetheless handled like criminals and you’ll really feel it [in] how they’ve arrange this system to be so financially restrictive and so cumbersome to entry.”

The 2021 annual report additionally discovered that accessibility has been an enormous problem. Well being division officers say they plan to work with the Utah Division of Agriculture and Meals to search out methods to handle rising issues.

Wealthy Oborn, director of the Middle for Medical Hashish on the well being division, mentioned they wish to roll out two initiatives that might assist on this problem.

One would enhance accessibility to the variety of suppliers who’d be capable to prescribe a medical marijuana card. One other would create a web site that might assist examine and assess prices at prescribing physician’s places of work.

Oborn mentioned quite a lot of the problems the state program is seeing are a results of its newness and can resolve because it continues to develop.

“We’re rising. We’re very new. Not as a lot provide so the value goes to be a bit increased. However over time, the value goes down as there is a larger provide,” he mentioned in a telephone interview.