Study: About 60% of Utah Medical Cannabis Patients Obtain Products from Unregulated Sources

About 60% of Utah medical cannabis patients are obtaining their cannabis from outside the state’s legal market, according to a Cache Valley Daily report. The study was conducted by the Cannabis Public Policy Consulting (CPPC) at the request of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF).

Dr. Brandon Forsyth, UDAF director of industrial hemp and medical cannabis, noted that the state completes the market analysis “every year to evaluate whether or not the Utah Medical Cannabis program is fulfilling its duty to ensure that medical cannabis patients have adequate access to the medicine they need.”

The survey of nearly 200 medical cannabis patients in the state found that monthly prices for medical cannabis products in Utah are in the bottom ten among U.S. states but nearly a quarter of patients are still traveling outside of the state to obtain products due to the in-state cost.

“I am proud to see that overall, patients are able to legally access their medication within the state at a reasonable cost compared to other medical cannabis markets.” — Forsyth via Cache Valley Daily

Fifty-eight percent of patients surveyed said there was plenty of medical cannabis supply in the state, with 41% reporting that there was a limited or very limited supply of products available.

According to Marijuana Policy Project figures, there are about 71,850 registered medical cannabis patients in Utah.