Utah to change terms of its medical cannabis program

The State of Utah is preparing to change the terms and conditions of its medical cannabis program. Legislators are currently working on a new way to distribute medical cannabis, as the existing network would be illegal. Currently, medical cannabis is available in seven state-approved pharmacies, whose employees are paid by federal funds. Cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, so pharmacy employees are technically committing a federal crime every time they sell it. Lawmakers say that county health officers who currently distribute the products are, under current law, virtually «drug dealers».

Access to medical cannabis had been approved in March 2018, but only under strict conditions and only for terminally ill patients. Three laws had been passed; the first granted people with less than 6 months to live the «right to try», but did not provide for the opening of dispensaries to supply them with safe products. The second law allowed the Utah Department of Agriculture to delegate to local companies the production and storage of authorized cannabis products. The third law allowed the sale of CBD oil, under state control.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said he knew from the start that the Legislature's plan put the state «in direct conflict with federal law.» For Davis County District Attorney Troy Rawlings «this has nothing to do with medical cannabis itself, it's strictly the legality of the issue and its implementation» that law enforcement officials are concerned about.

«The Utah Department of Health has been working with local health departments for several months to implement Utah's medical cannabis law. We are aware of the concerns of some health departments and county attorneys regarding their role as medical cannabis distribution points,» said Tom Hudachko, spokesperson for the Utah Department of Health. «We are committed to working with counties and the governor's office to find solutions that will ensure patients have access to medical cannabis within the timeframes set forth in the medical cannabis law.»