Home Grows Eliminate Cannabis Problems
by MADELINE FERGUSON
Over the past few months, The Utah Bee (and other publications) have reported on some issues for patients in Utah regarding the medical cannabis program, most of the problems relating to the quality of the product, pricing, and testing.
The first concern raised was the practice of allowing illegally derived hemp products in the Utah medical cannabis program. Delta-8 is a minor cannabinoid found in marijuana and hemp. The cannabinoid in the plant the world is most familiar with is Delta-9 THC. Delta-9 produces the high feeling we are used to when consuming cannabis; euphoria, pain relief, happiness, sedation - among others. But the way Delta-8 is made is cause for concern; it is a hostile process. It involves changing the plant to isolate a less potent cannabinoid. You can learn more about Delta-8 here.
Another issue reported was faulty lab tests on plants from a local grower. Brands were marketing abnormally high THC percentages due to poorly ran potency results by a local laboratory.
To conflate matters, limited licensing imposed by the state has created artificial scarcity, boosting demand causing inflated prices. Deepening consumer hardship is the limited retail outlets in the state. There are many rural counties in Utah, and patients’ needs are not being supported there.
From synthetic compounds, moldy edibles, too few locations, and expensive products, medical cannabis in Utah has a lot of room for improvement.
Patient consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated by these regulatory shortcomings.
One way of improving patient access to their medicine is allowing people to grow their herb at home. Nineteen states already allow recreational or medical home growth, including Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, and more.
The regulations on growing cannabis at home differ from state to state; the laws focus on the maturity and number of plants each patient can have and must be kept out of the public eye. The most up-to-date policy information from state to state can be found here.
The best way to view a patient’s right to grow their own medicine is the same way you’d look at yourself or a neighbor growing a vegetable garden to feed or help feed their family.
When people set out to grow their food, one of the benefits they are likely considering is personal health. When you grow your produce, you know exactly what you are planting and how it’s being cared for; most importantly, you know you can control what goes on or in your garden, fertilizers, pesticides or lack thereof.
If you can grow your food to ensure it meets your standards, why shouldn’t you grow your own cannabis? This would eliminate concerns regarding synthetic cannabinoids infused into your medication, reduce wasteful packaging from dispensaries, accessibility to medicine improved, strengthen emotional well-being through a hobby and reduce consumer demand on a limited market.
In states that do allow personal cultivation, there have been no reported issues, according to MPP. None of the nineteen states have repealed, or changed stances on home grow policies.
Similar to the vegetable garden comparison, think of homebrewers. We all likely have a friend (or more) who brews their own beer, which is legal in all 50 states. As delicious and fun as beer (especially making your own) can be, it’s not medicine. There are no known medicinal purposes for alcohol consumption. But there are plenty of studies proving the therapeutic uses of cannabis. Do you see that disconnect?
And finally, the positive financial impact home cultivation could have on patients, especially in Utah, is enormous. Many medical cannabis patients are simply priced out of Utah’s program with the costly card program and even higher product price tags, driving them back to the legacy market. Folks in the lowest income brackets often have the most challenging time gaining access to the state program. Allowing patients to grow at home would ensure these patients had access to life-changing medicine without the costly expense.
“Plant medicine is an opportunity for true relief for patients. If we are genuine in discussing compassionate care, then home grow should be included in every state program. Aside from lowering the cost for consumers, taking in the plant’s rich nutrients via juicing is another modality we are missing out on by not having cultivation rights.” Christine Stenquist, president of the patient advocacy nonprofit, TRUCE.