WNBA star Brittney Griner will spend the next nine years of her life in a Russian jail unless some sort of intervention frees her. Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges after she was found carrying a Medical Cannabis product in her luggage. Her tragic story is a reminder of the need for legal awareness within the Medical Cannabis community.
Griner’s use of a Medical Cannabis vape to help manage chronic pain is not considered unusual here in the U.S. In fact, it is pretty common in many parts of the world. But Medical Cannabis is not approved in Russia. There, possession still constitutes a crime.
America wishes Griner the best and hopes that some sort of deal can be worked out to bring her home. That would be the best resolution to what is otherwise an unpleasant situation. In the meantime, Medical Cannabis patients in the States should be constantly educating themselves on federal and state laws.
Medical Cannabis consumption has only increased as more states have gotten on board. Care to guess what the number one reason for using it is? Treating chronic pain. Whether pain is the result of a sports injury, a car accident, or even an underlying medical condition, the majority of Medical Cannabis users cite pain as their qualifying condition.
The thing about chronic pain is that it doesn’t take a vacation when you leave home. If you leave Utah to enjoy a week-long vacation in California, your pain goes along for the ride. Whether or not you take your Medical Cannabis medicines with you is another matter.
By the letter of the law, you cannot transport the medications across state lines. That is a matter of both federal and Utah regulations. Are you likely to have a problem if you’re pulled over in California and found to have a vape pen in your luggage? Probably not. Traveling overseas could be a different thing, though.
Traveling is not always easy for a chronic pain patient. The travel itself can be uncomfortable, and then you need to worry about how you are going to manage until you return home. The best advice we can offer to Medical Cannabis patients is to plan before you travel. Legal awareness can help you to plan well in advance.
We don’t know about other states, but we do know that Utah makes provision for out-of-state visitors. Let’s say one of your out-of-state family members, who uses Medical Cannabis to treat chronic pain, is planning to visit you for Christmas. No worries. They could apply for a temporary Utah Medical Cannabis Card.
Utah law does not allow your family member to bring cannabis into the state. But with a valid temporary card, your family member could visit any Medical Cannabis pharmacy in the state to obtain medication.
Your pain travels with you whenever you leave home. There is no avoiding it. Still, don’t take any chances with Medical Cannabis. Do your research and plan before you travel. Be especially diligent if you are planning to travel overseas.
There are a lot of overseas destinations fully open to Medical Cannabis. Likewise, there are others that do not allow it. You need to know which are which before you hop on a plane. Otherwise, you could find yourself in quite a bit of trouble.
Medical Cannabis use continues to grow across the country. As it does, so should legal awareness. Patients should take the time to learn as much as they can about the law. Doing so is their best protection.
