Utah Medical Cannabis Program: What is the 411?
by AMIE SCHAEFFER
It has been nearly a year since the first medical cannabis dispensary opened in the state. At the onset, Utah planned to implement a state-run central-fill pharmacy program. Due to a lawsuit pushed by TRUCE founder Christine Stenquist and others, the central-fill model was scrapped by legislators.
Utah issued 14 business licenses for pharmacies around the state, but to date, only half have opened their doors.
The new year ushered in new patient requirements for accessing cannabis dispensaries in Utah. No longer are recommendation letters accepted by physicians forcing cannabis patients to shop for a qualified medical provider (QMP).
As someone with Multiple Sclerosis myself, I have been curious about the path to medical marijuana. Symptoms like spasticity, neuropathy, headaches, fatigue, and balance issues are a struggle every day. I stopped taking MS therapy around three years ago because the side effects simply were no longer worth it to me. To keep my body functional, I take over 100 pills a week, and I have been doing that for fourteen years.
Although I will not claim to speak for others, I can guess on personal experience why some choose not to get a card for medicinal marijuana. I have been with my neurologist since 2008. I make the joke that if she moves, I am moving with her. I trust someone who I know has a vested interest in my care. However, she does not seem interested in going in the direction of cannabis. Finding a qualified medical provider makes me nervous.
If my trusted provider cannot be the one to guide me through the system, I feel lost, a bit overwhelmed, and intimidated. Taking this step requires education on cannabis; I am not sure where to get it.
Utah's medical cannabis program has a less than stellar reputation. Others in my circle have called it frustrating, and I have read reports of shortages in product supply, leaving patients with little choice for their buck.
Amanda Ellis-Graham was diagnosed with MS over two decades ago. To help ease fatigue symptoms, anxiety, neuropathy, vertigo, and severe spasticity, she began to self-medicate in 2013. Ellis-Graham noted using cannabis helped her stretch her gait three inches, and she has not been reliant on her wheelchair for years.
Ellis-Graham was a fierce proponent of the ballot initiative, Proposition 2, which passed in 2018 only to be repealed in a special session shortly after. Utah's Medical Cannabis Program now sits in its place, a program Ellis-Graham feels is deeply flawed. She chooses to use traditional means in obtaining products.
"Proposition 2 was for the patients. We fought for this, over 500,000 people voted. We are patients, and we need our medicine," she stated.
According to Ellis-Graham, Utah's program makes patients jump through too many hoops and is expensive.
"There's not enough product. I can't afford to buy a card, renew a card and add cannabis on top of it."
Another drawback to Ellis-Graham is having her name attached to a database that identifies her as a cannabis patient and tracks her use.
I made my way to medicalcannabis.utah.gov with a head full of questions. How much will this cost? How does insurance play into this process, or does it at all? How often will I need to see a qualified medical provider? Without any real history or investment in my healthcare, how is this person supposed to find what is right for me?
The website does offer a few tools to users, but the navigation is not exactly streamlined. When I choose "APPLY for a Patient Card," I am supposed to locate and visit a qualified medical provider before I proceed. I am not ready at this stage, but I watch the video provided on obtaining my card. It does not provide me with any info that I can not find on the website and nothing on cost.
As a patient, the cost is essential to me. I go back to the website. Here is how they break it out.
Medical cannabis card fees:
Patient Card (initial): $15
Patient Card (first 90-day renewal): $5
Patient Card (six-month renewal): $15
My out-of-pocket expense for a visit to the neurologist is a $30 co-pay for a 45-minute visit. It took a lot of searching to find pricing for consulting with a QMP. After going through several listings of approved providers, I found some pricing information. Here is the breakdown of costs according to utahmarijuana.org, which is a qualified provider.
The first visit costs $225 with a $25 deposit and will take 20-30 mins.
There is no information I can find on subsequent visits.
Here are my takeaways, and I have not even factored in the cost of the product yet. I feel unclear, frustrated, and nervous. Being an MS patient is expensive and can be hard to navigate with symptoms that can change without warning. Beyond cost, the thought of going to a QMP when I have had the same doctor treating my MS for 13 years is a hard pill to swallow.
I am not giving up on the notion of going after my card, but I am going to need to do some more digging. Watch the Utah Bee for updates on my journey.