When California began the push for legal medical cannabis some 30 years ago, few were predicting today’s market. What began as a push by a single state has become millions of medical cannabis patients in more than three-dozen states and the District of Columbia. And yet there is a nagging question: why go through the expense and hassle medical cannabis is known for when there are other buying options?
It Requires Time, Money, and Effort
Using medical cannabis in states that allow it isn’t as easy as using an over-the-counter pain reliever. It requires time, money, and effort. Here’s what it takes in most states:
- Getting a medical exam from an approved provider
- Applying for, and obtaining, a medical cannabis card
- Paying an annual fee for the card and its renewal
- Visiting a medical cannabis pharmacy to make purchases
The truth is that there are easier ways to get your hands on cannabis. So why would anybody go through the hassle I am getting a card and paying higher prices for legal medical cannabis? The answer to that question is threefold.
1. It Might Be the Only Legal Choice
For patients in dozens of states, medical cannabis is the only legal option. Utah patients are a good example. The Beehive State approved medical cannabis with a voter proposition in 2018. Their program went live in 2020. To date, Utah has not approved recreational marijuana. State lawmakers don’t look like they will do so anytime soon.
Medical cannabis patients in Utah must have a medical exam and apply for a card. A valid card allows them to visit Salt Lake City’s Beehive Farmacy, or any other medical cannabis pharmacy in the state, to purchase their medicines. They are not allowed to bring medical cannabis across the border from other states.
A patient unwilling to make the effort to do things legally can turn to the black market. But that means breaking the law and risking the potential consequences of doing so. Over 100,000 patients have done it legally.
2. The Black Market Is Risky
The black market in Utah and other medical-only states is alive and well. But in addition to it being illegal, it is also risky. Legitimate medical cannabis patients who are simply trying to live their lives do not necessarily want to get mixed up in illicit activities. They don’t need the trouble or the potential harm that could come from it. They would rather put the time, money, and effort into using medical cannabis legally.
3. The Question of Quality
There are those states that allow both medical cannabis and recreational marijuana. Patients can choose to purchase recreational products that do not require a state-issued card, products that also cost less. Many do. But the question of quality is enough to keep some sourcing their medicines from the legal medical market.
Recreational marijuana isn’t held to the same standards as its medical counterpart. This could be problematic for all medical cannabis users, but particularly those who need specific cannabinoid-terpene profiles for their conditions.
There is also the issue of testing. Medical cannabis is rigorously tested for health and safety. The bar is set higher for medical use than recreational. So patients opting to bypass medical cannabis in favor of recreational marijuana might not be getting the best quality.
The Medical Market Continues to Thrive
Millions of people now use medical cannabis. How many millions more use marijuana medicinally but source it from the black market or legal recreational sellers? Nobody knows. Yet the medical market continues to thrive across the U.S.
