Utah voters passed a proposition in 2018 giving the green light to medical cannabis in the state. The state’s program was up and running by 2020. Some five years later, the number of patients with medical cannabis cards has eclipsed 103,000. By all accounts, things are good. And yet the illicit market still thrives. Why?
A group of researchers from the University of Utah School of Medicine wanted some answers. So they conducted a study among current medical cannabis users regarding their habits. What they learned was surprising to some but not so much to others.
Accessing Medical Cannabis in Utah
Before getting to the study data, a brief explanation of how patients access medical cannabis in Utah is an order. All patients must apply for a state-issued card and visit a medical provider in person. Organizations like Salt Lake City’s BeehiveMed help patients navigate the card application process. Visit BeehiveMed.
Only patients with valid cards can legally purchase medical cannabis. All purchases must be made through state-licensed pharmacies, of which there are now more than a dozen throughout Utah.
What the Study Found
Researchers began their study with the premise that medical cannabis users are still accessing the illicit market despite having access to fully legal medical cannabis at state-licensed pharmacies. They surveyed 211 patients who had been enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program for less than six months. Each of the patients had been diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions:
- Chronic pain
- Cancer
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Patients were also asked questions relating to their mental and physical health, their experiences with the state program, and their access to medical cannabis. Here are the most important things researchers learned from the data:
- 11.9% of the respondents indicated using illicit cannabis within the previous two weeks.
- 70.8% of the illicit users reported being employed.
- 79% reported cost as the main barrier to legal medical cannabis.
- 45.8% reported inconsistent supply as the main barrier.
The average age of patients accessing illicit medical cannabis was 40.5 years. That is important to me only because it shatters some of our perceptions about the people who use cannabis.
Cost and Supply Issues
The reasons patients cited for using illicit medical cannabis in Utah are not surprising to those of us who have been following the industry for more than 20 years. Cost is always an issue regardless of the product you are talking about. It is human nature to want the cheapest options on the market. Medical cannabis is no different.
While Utah costs aren’t the highest in the nation, they are not the lowest either. Everything from supply and demand to taxation to the cost of doing business influences medical cannabis prices. And in any highly regulated market, costs are higher among legal sellers as compared to their illicit counterparts. Quite simply, illicit dealers do not follow the regulations. They can sell their products much more cheaply.
As for supply issues, it is true that Utah has more than a dozen medical cannabis pharmacies to serve the state’s patients. But all but one of those pharmacies are located in an urban area. The problem is that Utah is a largely rural state. People in rural areas are forced to drive an hour or more to access a state-licensed pharmacy. Meanwhile, illicit providers are often much closer.
We now know why Utah medical cannabis users access the illicit market. The question is whether anything will be done to break down the barriers that drive them to do so.
