Who is Courtney Watson? [00:41]
If the state is unable to process your renewal before it expires, is it it is now illegal for you to consume medical marijuana? [3:15]
More about the review process during renewals [5:56]
Can you increase the dosing recommendation for your card during the renewal process? [8:55]
Issues with “Awaiting Certification” status [10:08]
Can you start the MMJ Card renewal process in advance? [13:05]
How do you get in contact with someone at EVS? [14:03]
Paying your card/renewal fee [15:10]
Courtney Watson works with Tim at Utah THC. She is the jack of all trades in the office and she focuses on helping patients renew their cards. She is knowledgeable about the EVS System, and in Tim’s opinion, probably knows more than some at the Utah Department of Health.
Yes, this would make it illegal to consume medical marijuana, which is why the team is doing so much to help patients make sure their cards don’t expire. Courtney and the team are reaching out to patients three weeks ahead of time, which is one week earlier than EVS will reach out to you.
The state review is not a medical review. It is a technical review process. They are not reviewing any of the patient medical data. They are just reviewing that all of the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.
The state is also processing between 350 and 450 new cards a week. So in addition to the new cards, they also have to process an influx of renewal applications, which may cause a few days delay in renewal.
The team at Utah THC will send out a survey that helps determine if their patients have developed a tolerance, and if dosing should be adjusted. If they determine that you need a higher dose, this recommendation can be provided during the renewal process.
For renewals and new cards, the patient does the application or the initial registration. Once the application or renewal registration is done, your status changes to “Awaiting Certification.” The qualified medical provider (QMP) will then update the certification. However, the system will still say “Awaiting Certification.”
There is no alert coming from EVS that your status has changed. Your provider will be responsible for letting you know if you’re ready to move to the next step.
Tim made a video that takes you through this process.
No, your account won’t change to what’s called “Pending Renewal” until two weeks before your card expires. Tim has asked the Department of Health to change that to 30 days, so that patients may start to work on their renewals earlier. But currently, you can only renew or apply for renewal when your status is “Pending Renewal.”
You can call them at 801-538-6504. Also, for IT issues, you can call the EVS IT department at 801-538-5779.
To pay your new Medical Marijuana Card or renewal fee:
You must do this on a blocked browser without an ad blocker or pop-up blocker. Also, this process typically does not work on a mobile device.
What is Salt Baked City? [0:40]
What does the Salt Baked City team look like? [10:57]
Cole’s vision for Salt Baked City [17:29]
How to submit content to Salt Baked City [23:02]
Cole’s thoughts on why older customers are visiting dispensaries [31:51]
Is persistent nausea a qualifying condition in Utah? [42:46]
What research, if any, has been done regarding use during pregnancy or breastfeeding? [44:16]
Cole is a journalist based in Utah. He worked for a hydro store in Utah, performing PR work. During that time, he was able to get to know the hemp growers that they cater to and the various home growers that came through their shop.
While working for the store, he noticed there was a lot of confusion around Proposition 2. He didn’t understand why local media wasn’t informing the public about the new laws that were taking effect, including how to get medical cards, which qualified medical professionals you can see, etc.
He decided to solve this problem by creating a magazine to educate the public. He also wanted to take it one step further and include community journalism on “green scene” news.
The idea for a magazine was put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to stop production on the magazine. They have shifted their strategy to be focused on creating content for the site.
Growing up in Reno, Nevada, Cole wanted to be a journalist since the fifth grade. The first newspaper he worked for was his middle school newspaper, where he wrote about sports. Cole went to college at Indiana University.
After college, Cole went back to Reno to work for a local TV affiliate. However, he wanted to get back into print journalism, so he moved to Idaho and worked for a variety of publications.
He eventually returned back to Utah to work in Park City at the Park Record.
There are a handful of writers for the site, including Tim Pickett, host of Utah in the Weeds. When starting the project, he set out to find influencers that really understand cannabis and the “green scene.” He’s also partnered with J.D. Lauritzen, The Leafy Lawyer and Robert Hill with the Hill Family Farm.
Initially, the plan was to create a magazine. However, the pandemic made this difficult to execute. Cole was also concerned with the environmental impact of creating a paper-based magazine.
The team is now focused on their tech, including continuing to build the website and developing an app.
Cole is also focused on building a team of reporters and community journalists to cover medical cannabis and other topics.
You can email Cole at colefullmer@saltbakedcity.com to submit content to Salt Baked City.
Cole believes that the younger population just doesn’t have the money to spend $250 to get a medical card. Also, he believes that older adults are more likely to prefer to do things legally instead of obtaining cannabis on the black market.
Persistent nausea is a qualifying condition for a Medical Marijuana Card in Utah. The patient and the provider should discuss what is “persistent.” They may ask questions such as “does it affect your life?” Or,”does it affect your ability to eat the food that you want to eat, or do the things you want to do?”
Generally, if it’s affecting your life, day to day or week to week, or you can trigger it, then it could be considered “persistent.” As a qualifying condition, nausea is one of the top conditions where the effects of cannabis have been studied.
There isn’t much research on cannabis use while pregnant or breastfeeding. Because we are still unsure of the effects of cannabis use during pregnancy, research institutions haven’t performed any studies.
There have been surveys performed of women who have used cannabis while pregnant. There are some studies that say upwards of 20 to 30% of pregnant women may use cannabis some time during their pregnancy, depending on the groups you ask.
But the studies Tim reviewed found that babies where the mother used marijuana had lower birth weights. We know that heavier babies tend to be healthier than lighter weight babies, so this would be an undesirable effect.
Tim does not recommend pregnant women use cannabis.
If you are considering using marijuana during pregnancy or breastfeeding, Tim encourages you to discuss this with your medical provider.
Shawn Hammond’s background [1:26]
Why did Shawn get into hemp? [7:05]
How was Shawn able to meet Utah’s March 1st mandate? [10:01]
What is Shawn’s vision for his grow operation? [11:56]
Challenges with his temporary location [19:39]
Shawn’s plan for his permanent facility [21:00]
Which cannabis strains is Shawn currently growing? [22:00]
Does Shawn think being in Utah holds him back? [24:14]
How often does Shawn’s grow operation send Medical Marijuana to dispensaries? [32:31]
What is involved in health department testing? [34:41]
Why is it important to have a medical market for cannabis? [36:52]
Shawn’s thoughts on the recreational market [39:22]
Shawn shares his experience with a patient with mental health issues [42:18]
Several years ago, Shawn began coaching weightlifting and opened up a small gym in his garage to train athletes. Shawn also worked in the private equity space when, about five years ago, he started getting involved in the cannabis industry. Specifically, he began working with a master grower in Southern Oregon. This led to him starting a grow operation up in Southern Oregon, He later started a hemp company, which allowed him to get back into business in Utah.
Shawn got involved in hemp after seeing his master grower in Oregon treat seizures from a brain tumor with a high CBD strain of cannabis. This experience led to his fascination with hemp and the benefits of hemp.
He was able to take that experience, and the lessons he has learned in setting up operations and led to bringing in some of the best cultivators and growers in the world. His goal is to ensure patients have access to the finest cannabis products for whatever conditions they’re looking to treat.
Utah state officials gave growers like Shawn an aggressive timeline of March 1, 2020. This included Shawn providing the state with a long-term grow plan.
To meet this deadline, Shawn set up a temporary grow operation. His team has been able to grow some beautiful flowers and plants. Their grow operation is very manual and not all automated.
Shawn is currently building a state-of-the-art, world-class grow facility that will be their permanent location.
Shawn wants to grow the best exotics and the most beneficial plants. He is committed to helping patients get the relief that they need. They have spent over $150,000 on their temporary grow location and they are spending millions on their new, permanent location.
He’s excited about the difference he’s making in patients’ lives so far. Their process is very scientific and meticulous, including hand trimming leaves off of the flower.
There were challenges with zoning and other laws, such as needing to be a certain distance from schools and from residential areas. Also, he needed a landlord that was progressive enough to understand the opportunity.
The new facility will have hundreds of thousands of dollars in HVAC. They expect for the facility to be completed in six to eight weeks, and then operational two weeks after that.
Shawn’s team is doing a lot of research and development, defining their genetic library. He is looking for plants that have the characteristics of the mother plant, the father plant, and the proper terpene profiles.
Shawn doesn’t believe being in Utah will hold him back. He enjoyed his time in Oregon, but his family is here in Utah.
In 2018, Proposition 2 was finalizing and he began to look into how he could help people in his home state and provide them with high-quality medicine.
Shawn’s delivery to dispensaries is dependent on how fast the state completes test results. The team performs a harvest about every three weeks. From there, it takes about ten days to two weeks to dry.
Once properly dried, the state will come pick it up for testing. Once test results are processed, they are able to release products to dispensaries.
The Utah Department of Health performs tests to protect patients, including testing for potency and the presence of THC and cannabinoids.
They also test for mold, metals, pesticides, microbials, fungicides, etc., making sure that products are safe to consume.
Shawn believes it’s important to have a functioning program where they can be confident they are consuming Medical Cannabis products that will not cause them further harm. Organ systems and their immune systems may already be compromised. This makes state testing critical to give patients confidence in the products they’re using.
Shawn thinks that the term “recreational” should be replaced with “adult use.” He believes the term “recreational” carries a stigma of a cannabis culture that is characterized as lazy, not motivated, etc.
He also believes that the next step for the state of Utah is to expand the list of qualifying conditions for cannabis. Pharmaceuticals have failed to help conditions such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD, and he believes Medical Marijuana can be a better option.
Shawn describes his experience with a patient who has been hospitalized with mental health issues and chronic pain. After receiving a Medical Cannabis Card, the chronic pain went away. Also, she was able stop using benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and antidepressants to treat her mental health issues. She saw a huge improvement in her quality of life. Even her psychiatrist was amazed at her turnaround.
Tim’s new column for Salt Baked City [1:04]
How busy has Tim’s clinic been? [4:02]
More about Tim’s clinic [5:12]
Anxiety and Medical Marijuana in Utah [8:24]
When choosing cannabis, what level of THC should you choose? [11:52]
How Tim stays current with information and news on cannabis [15:13]
Tim’s recommendations for people that build up a tolerance to cannabis and want to decrease it [16:55]
Tim and Chris request new podcast guests [22:21]
Can you use an out-of-state Medical Marijuana card in Utah? [25:17]
What are the potential effects of the Federal Government decriminalizing marijuana? [27:04]
How to connect with Tim and Chris [36:16]
UtahMarijuana.org
IAmSaltLake.com
Utah in the Weeds Podcast
Utah Medical Cannabis Program
Salt Baked City
Utah’s Compassionate Use Board
Healer.com
Salt Baked City is a new publication covering news and information around marijuana in Utah. Tim will be writing a column about Medical Cannabis from a provider’s perspective, and answering questions from readers.
Tim has seen an increase in visits with the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions. Tim’s clinic is also involved with training providers, and helping them learn the process, dosing, etc.
His clinic’s website is utahmarijuana.org. Tim made the decision to consolidate his two websites, utahmarijuana.clinic and utahmarijuana.org. Now, visitors can learn more about medical marijuana, listen to the podcast, and learn about how to get a card all on the same site.
With COVID-19, Tim has seen a significant increase in people looking to get a Medical Marijuana Card for anxiety. Unfortunately, it is not a qualifying condition.
There is a petition process that you can go through with Utah’s Compassionate Use Board to try to get a Medical Marijuana Card for anxiety.
Tim and Chris enjoyed the conversations with Medical Marijuana patient, Diseree Zacher, and Desiree Hennessy from Utah Patients Coalition.
They also enjoyed discussions with Medical Marijuana patients, Mario Enriquez and David Sutherland.
For context, in the 1960s and 1970s during the Vietnam War, soldiers were treating their PTSD with cannabis. The cannabis they consumed was 6-8% THC.
Cannabis from Utah dispensaries can have THC percentages up to 25% or higher, which is very different from what was used during the Vietnam era.
Tim cautions Medical Marijuana users to be careful with doses containing higher percentages of THC, as they could cause neurologic issues and mental health issues.
Tim belongs to the Society of Cannabis Clinicians. He also recommends healer.com for more information on Medical Marijuana.
Tim believes that Medical Cannabis users should decrease their tolerance once a quarter. This would involve not consuming any cannabis products for two days. After two days, you would slowly increase your usage.
Tim and Chris would love to chat with people involved with local pharmacies. They also love patient stories. If you feel like you have a unique story, reach out to Tim and Chris.
Also, they would like to talk to people who may not be directly related to the Medical Cannabis industry. For example, glass blowers, out-of-state chefs who cook with cannabis, etc. Reach out to Chris at chris@iamsaltlake.com if you’re interested.
No, you cannot use an out-of-state Medical Marijuana Card in Utah. You can use those cards for help in providing documentation for your condition, but you still have to get a card or get a recommendation from a Qualified Medical Provider in Utah.
Tim believes that decriminalizing marijuana would allow for interstate commerce, driving the costs down for patients. For example, a patient in Utah could receive a Medical Marijuana Card, then order products from Colorado. This would introduce competition and drive costs down.
Connect with Tim at utahmarijuana.org. You can also call Tim at (801)851-5554.
Connect with Chris at chris@iamsaltlake.com.
Who is Richard Oborn? [1:47]
Richard’s experience with cannabis [4:56]
Did Utah model their program after different states or like the regulatory side? [6:35]
What is the role of the Department of Health? [9:06]
Where is Medical Cannabis grown? [11:53]
When will more dispensaries open? [13:19]
How many cards have been issued? [15:07]
Are people still having issues navigating the system to get Medical Cannabis Cards? [17:53]
What has the response been since the program launched? [19:48]
When does home delivery start? [21:38]
What is the process for additional conditions, like anxiety, to be considered as a qualifying condition? [25:18]
Does the Department of Health also manage the Compassionate Use Board? [27:12]
What changes to the Medical Marijuana program is Richard excited to see? [33:21]
UtahMarijuana.org
IAmSaltLake.com
Utah in the Weeds Podcast
Utah Medical Cannabis Program
Richard is the Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis in the Utah Department of Health. Prior to this role, he oversaw the Office of Vital Records and Statistics, where he started the Hemp Extract Registration Program. This program allowed epilepsy patients to legally possess CBD.
Once it became more clear that Proposition 2 would pass, he was asked to help the department prepare for the new law. Then, in March 2019, the Center for Medical Cannabis was created.
Richard has never used cannabis, but due to the roles at the Center for Medical Cannabis and the Office of Vital Records and Statistics, he has performed extensive research with cannabis and CBD, including attending conferences and visiting facilities in other states.
Richard was able to visit programs in other states to get a better understanding of how Utah’s cannabis program could operate. For example, Minnesota has a very restricted program, with only two companies that run the cultivation and processing of Medical Cannabis.
He also visited Arizona, which is a much more liberal program with little government involvement. Seeing different types of cannabis programs helped him prepare for what to expect in Utah.
The primary responsibility is to issue Medical Marijuana Cards.They also register Qualified Medical Providers and help manage training those providers.
Another function of the department is to oversee the pharmacies in the state. This includes ensuring that they operate in a way that complies with Utah law, and that protects the public.
There’s also an element of having to coordinate with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food to ensure cannabis products are safe to consume.
Medical Cannabis for Utah pharmacies can only be grown in the state of Utah. This is primarily due to federal laws that prohibit transport across state lines.
Some dispensaries are planning to open during the summer. However, COVID-19 has caused delays for dispensaries opening.
There are 3100 Medical Cannabis Card holders. Cards were issued to residents across the state, from rural counties such as Grand, Millard, and Beaver counties, to larger counties such as Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber counties. They are currently seeing between 300-400 new applications per week.
The Department of Health has also certified over 300 Qualified Medical Providers. This includes MDs, DOs, APRN, and Physician Assistants, like Tim.
To find a Qualified Medical Provider, go to medicalcannabis.utah.gov and click the “Locate a Provider” link.
The Department of Health has worked to smooth out the process, including adding user guides to the site, and including a phone number on the site that people can call to get help during the process.
They will continue to improve the process to make it easier to navigate.
Right now, they are on track to issue 10,000 Medical Cannabis Cards by the end of the year. They are seeing COVID-19 impact how fast people can go through the process.
Also, because patients will no longer be able to use a medical letter in 2021, they expect to see an increase in cards issued at the end of the year.
Home delivery will start this summer. To receive home deliveries, you will need to have a Medical Marijuana Card. Patients who only have medical letters will not qualify for home delivery.
The Utah legislature has final say over qualifying conditions. The legislature also created the Cannabinoid Product Board that the Department of Health works with directly.The responsibility of the board is to make recommendations to the interim Health and Human Services Committee regarding any additional conditions that have evidence of being successfully treated by Medical Cannabis.
The board is continually reviewing studies about different conditions. They are reviewing studies that were conducted within the United States, and from around the world, looking to see if there is anything that they would recommend, as a board, to the legislature.
Yes, the Department of Health manages both the Cannabinoid Product Board and the Compassionate Use Board. The Compassionate Use Board reviews the applications that come from minors who are under the age of 21. They also review any applications that come from individuals that do not have a qualifying condition, but whose qualified medical provider believes that they would benefit from Medical Cannabis.
On https://medicalcannabis.utah.gov/, go to Providers and then Continuing Education. There are four credit hours that a provider could take toward their licensure. After taking an approved course, there is a $100 registration fee and a $50 renewal fee every two years.
The biggest change is with home delivery. Also, the Department of Health continues to improve the system, and the process of obtaining cards.
Finally, Richard is excited to see more pharmacies open during the summer and fall.
Who is Diseree Zacher? [1:53]
Why did Diseree get involved with Medical Marijuana? [4:01]
How does Diseree consume cannabis? [13:08]
Diseree’s advice for someone considering Medical Marijuana [21:03]
Diseree’s thoughts on abstinence for addiction treatment [22:49]
What does life look like for Diseree now? [31:14]
Diseree’s favorite Medical Marijuana strains [32:49]
UtahMarijuana.org
IAmSaltLake.com
Utah in the Weeds Podcast
Dragonfly Wellness
Diseree is a Medical Marijuana patient. Originally from Utah, she began using marijuana for medical purposes within the last year.
While in her 20s, Diseree experienced a variety of symptoms as a result of trauma, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, and chronic pain. Her symptoms progressed to an inability to control her extremities, and fibromyalgia.
After becoming bedridden, she was forced to apply for Social Security Disability.
This started her on the path of requiring a number of medications to ease her symptoms: pain medications, stimulants, sleep medications, etc. This included narcotics, and psychiatric/antipsychotic medications. Over time, she required more and more medications, which led to full-blown addiction.
She began the process of attempting to heal her addiction, which then helped clear her head and expose her to all of the mental and physical issues she had.
About three years ago, Diseree began researching Medical Marijuana as an option for relief. Although finding information online was difficult, she learned that different strains can help sleep, anxiety, and pain.
Since using cannabis to treat these symptoms, she was able to reduce her medications from 13 to just a couple. She’s returned to work full time and was recently promoted. She also rides a bike 20 miles a day. She credits this turn around to the cannabis industry.
Diseree primarily consumes edibles and “dabs.” She is unhappy with the product selection in Utah, so she goes out of state for these products. However, Tim mentions that new products are coming onto the market that may satisfy what she is looking for.
Diseree recommends that people who are considering consuming marijuana to educate themselves on the pros and cons of using cannabis. Also, she recommends that you set realistic goals when using cannabis.
Diseree believes that abstinence works. However, she believes that treating addiction with abstinence should be monitored by a professional.
Her belief is that we become addicted because we’re escaping a painful reality. For Diseree, that reality was sexual assault, physical pain, nightmares at night, anxiety, etc.
Now she uses Medical Marijuana, meditation, and yoga to relax and reconnect with her body and mind.
Tim also believes that using cannabis in an addiction or recovery could act as an exit drug. For severe addictions, he agrees that it is important to have a professional helping you through recovery.
Diseree bikes 20 miles a day. She enjoys hiking and being in the outdoors. Also, she is currently the assistant manager for a local restaurant.
Diseree prefers hybrid or indica strains. Wedding Cake is her favorite hybrid strain.
Who is Desiree Hennessy? [0:58]
Looking back to 2016, when Proposition 2 failed [6:18]
Positive aspects of the current Prop 2 law [13:49]
How were the qualifications for Medical Marijuana use determined? [15:31]
How is Utah Patients Coalition providing support to the Compassionate Use Board? [18:35]
How is Utah Patients Coalition funded? [23:33]
How is COVID-19 affecting Utah Patients Coalition? [26:45]
Desiree’s experience with A Perfect Earth Modern Apothecary [33:40]
How can you get involved with Utah Patients Coalition? [37:58]
UtahMarijuana.org
IAmSaltLake.com
Utah in the Weeds Podcast
Utah Patients Coalition
Utah Patients Coalition Facebook Page
Perfect Earth Modern Apothecary
Desiree Hennessy is the director of Utah Patients Coalition. She is a leader in the cannabis space and an advocate for patients and Medical Cannabis in Utah. Utah Patients Coalition is the organization that created and helped pass Proposition 2 (DJ Schanz was the director during that time). The focus of the organization is making it easy for patients to get access to Medical Marijuana and helping them navigate the new laws in Utah.
Desiree got involved in this cause because her son has extreme special needs, particularly experiencing nerve pain. Pain medications and nerve blockers were not helping. Her journey began as an advocate for her family, then recognizing that there are many others who could benefit from Medical Marijuana.
When the initiative started, it had a 78% approval rating. It appeared that the law would pass. However, a Drug Safe Utah campaign was launched in August of that year. With millions of dollars in funding, the campaign was able to charge $6 a signature, compared to the $2 a signature that Utah Patients Coalition was able to charge. The LDS Church, the Utah Medical Association, and about 20 senators and representatives all signed the petition against Proposition 2, which eventually caused it to fail.
By August, Utah Patients Coalition had no money and the approval rating dropped to 48%.
With the current law, having medical providers involved legitimizes it with the medical community. If medical providers were not involved and you could just go to the dispensary on your own, then the law is delegitimized for all medical providers.
The Utah Patients Coalition looked at what was successful for other states. They were also able to get significant wins with the current law.
For example, Utah is the first state to have autism as a qualifying condition. Also, Utah’s pain qualification is easier than other states. For most states, you have to have documentation of pain and you need to have tried other medications. However, in Utah, if you have pain longer than two weeks and nothing else you have tried has helped, then you meet the pain qualification.
Also, for cancer, some states require you to take six months of MRIs and prove to them that you still have your cancer. Utah does not require that.
Anxiety and autoimmune disorders were difficult to pass. The concern was that both conditions are widespread and would be difficult to control who is using Medical Marijuana.
Bipolar disorder was also left off due to doctors claiming that it could cause schizophrenia for some bipolar patients.
Utah Patients Coalition is still pushing for a law without a conditions list.
Desiree actually assisted in reviewing the doctors who were added to the board. She is concerned that the board may be another hurdle and not an ally for patients. If patients are turned down by the board, she recommends letting Utah Patients Coalition know. They can use that data to determine if the board is indeed an ally for patients.
Utah Patients Coalition is currently not generating income. A decision was made to not take money from patients. Also, they are committed to not taking money from the marijuana industry.
They are looking into donors who can help pay for expenses, like maintaining the website. But, they want it to be very clear always that they work for patients. Their main goal is getting patients access to Medical Marijuana.
She feels like it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Legislation sessions were already shut down and most of that work had been completed by the coalition. Also, this gives them time before the summer ramps up for doctors to do prep work.
They have a dispensary in Logan and then they’re going to open up one in Weber County. The location in Weber County should hopefully be opening May first. She was able to visit the pharmacy and do a little Facebook Live. They were able to give her a visitor pass because she’s not a legal patient.
She says they had a good deal on disposable cannabis pens. She heard a lot of patients got those and like those. She was there for a couple of hours watching and talking to the pharmacists and saw a steady stream of patients all day long.
She was worried about Cache Valley having enough demand, but the team at Perfect Earth Modern Apothecary said that they’re getting about 50 patients a day.
They always need volunteers and they have a Facebook page that you can follow for more information.
Who is Mario Enriquez? [2:11]
What was Mario’s first medical marijuana purchase? [3:18]
What did the moment feel like when Mario made his purchase? [4:14]
How Mario go introduced to cannabis [5:49]
Mario’s favorite ways to consume cannabis [10:06]
How the coronavirus pandemic has affected Mario’s day-to-day marijuana usage [12:54]
What is Mario’s next project? [17:05]
Is Tim still seeing new patients? [19:33]
Mario’s plan for 4/20 [25:26]
How you can learn more about Utah Patients for Cannabis and Natural Choices [29:48]
Utah Patients for Cannabis and Natural Choices
Mario is a medical marijuana patient and the president of Utah Patients for Cannabis and Natural Choices. His group helped spearhead the proposition to collect signatures alongside with the Utah Patients Coalition. Also, he was the first patient in the state of Utah to buy medical cannabis.
The first day cannabis flower was not available. He decided to purchase cartridges of sativa and indigo.
Because of his past experience with dispensaries, the purchase felt normal. However, when he walked out the door he realized that he was the first person to purchase medical marijuana in Utah. He received a huge reaction of tears, hugs, and happiness from everyone.
Mario started as a recreational user. However, he was diagnosed with a rare condition called ocular albinism at a young age. He also has nystagmus, which makes his eyes move back and forth all the time. That causes constant eye pain all the time.
Along with helping to medicate his pain without pills, cannabis helped him during school stay calm and focused.
Dry flower vaporizers are what’s allowed with Utah law. However, he also enjoys smoking it because you can better experience the flavors.
The pandemic has not changed Mario’s day-to-day usage. In fact, with the increased anxiety that comes with the pandemic, Mario has continued to use medical cannabis to medicate.
Note: anxiety is not a qualifying condition for medical marijuana in Utah.
Although medical marijuana is legal in Utah, Mario feels his work is not done. There are still conditions he feels needs to be added to the list of qualifying conditions. Also, patients would like to be able to ignite medical marijuana and consume it in a way that is comfortable for them.
His group is still working with legislators to improve the state of medical marijuana in the future.
Yes, Tim is still seeing new patients. With the coronavirus pandemic, his clinic is practicing social distancing. However, Utah law still requires face-to-face visits so they are making accommodations to do this, including visiting the elderly at their homes.
To schedule an appointment, you can go to https://utahmarijuana.org/clinic or call (801) 851-5554.
Mario was able to get a job working at Perfect Earth Pharmacy in South Ogden. He will be helping out the Logan store on 4/20.
Visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UPCNC/.
Blake’s Backstory [1:36]
What Blake Discovered When Testing CBD Products [3:24]
How Blake became the Chief Scientific Officer for Zion Pharmaceuticals [5:33]
What does Blake think about the Medical Marijuana rollout? [9:15]
Zion’s process for producing medicines [12:41]
Where will Zion’s products be sold? [13:35]
What’s the path for recreational marijuana becoming legal in Utah? [20:03]
Prior to Prop 2, did Blake believe a time would come when Medical Marijuana would be available in Utah? [21:59]
Blake’s goal with Zion Pharmaceuticals [24:21]
What is the best blend of cannabinoids for PTSD? [27:47]
What is the best blend of cannabinoids for pain? [28:51]
What is the best blend of cannabinoids for nausea? [29:57]
How can someone learn more about cannabinoids? [30:15]
Blake Smith is the Chief Scientific Officer for Zion Pharmaceuticals. Zion Pharmaceuticals has a cultivation license and they should be ready to grow within the next two to three weeks.
They also have one of the processing licenses, so they can do everything from extraction all the way to making the final product.
Blake’s area of expertise is isolating specific cannabinoids for therapeutic purposes. He worked in pharmaceuticals as a bioanalytical chemist for a long period of time. He then left that and went into academia.
During that period of time, his daughter was diagnosed with a genetic condition that gives her seizures. A parent’s alliance he belonged to at the time suggested CBD products might be able to help her.
Instead of jumping right into providing her with CBD, he tested a number of products in his lab.
What he found was most CBD products were not what the company claimed them to be. CBD companies will tell you what the potency or cannabinoid content is. They’ll say that their products are pesticide free.
However, Blake’s test discovered pesticide and metal residues. He also found the potencies were not consistent with what CBD companies claimed them to be.
It was the wild West. Not all products were bad, but there were a lot of products that were not what they claimed.
These were CBD products found in dispensaries and CBD stores, not on the black market.
Blake got involved with a group that was growing hundreds of acres of industrial hemp. Specifically, he helped identify some issues they were having during that farming process.
Later, they asked him to join as their Chief Scientific Officer.
Their team extracted and processed thousands of pounds, if not tens of thousands of pounds of industrial hemp.
When the legalization of Medical Cannabis was announced in Utah, Zion Pharmaceuticals decided they wanted to shift into making actual medicine. For example, a cancer patient with nausea could be given cannabis to make them feel high. However, the team wanted to start addressing the nausea directly. The cannabinoid Delta-8-THC, which also stimulates dopamine, could be used to help with nausea.
By adding dosing parameters around the medicine, this would become something that doctors should be interested in.
Blake thinks Utah is moving in the direction of what people wanted. Most of his experience with doctors has been fairly positive, but they have no idea how to write a prescription. This is why people like Tim are needed to help during this rollout.
Utah allows for industrial hemp products. The reason why this becomes really, really important to us is because if you look at most marijuana strains, the biggest difference is the total amount of THC and terpene profile. That would be like trying to treat every disease known to man with ibuprofen and Benadryl.
Hemp has high concentrations of cannabinoids, such as CBG and CBB, which have been shown to help with neuropathy.
Utah is pretty forward thinking in allowing industrial hemp, knowing that there is no difference between industrial hemp and marijuana except for the THC content. Zion is focusing on providing specific cannabinoids for very specific therapeutic purposes.
Zion grows marijuana, then extracts it just like they would anything else. They also have a hemp extraction process, so that they can find very interesting genetics on the hemp side, extract those, isolate their cannabinoids, and supplement them into the medical market.
Zion’s products are available to any pharmacy that wishes to sell them. Zion is not a pharmacy, so they rely on pharmacies to buy their products.
Some pharmacies want to only carry their own products. However, if pharmacies are really doing this for the benefit of patients, they’d want to offer a variety of products for a variety of conditions.
Also, people who are experienced users run into “walls,” where they don’t get the same effect every single time from their product. For example, avid smokers of marijuana like to try different things. If a pharmacy is only carrying their own products, they are denying the patient the ability to choose from a wide variety of products that they might help them.
Blake believes that Utah will move to recreational when we have an extremely solid medical program first to show that we’re responsible about how we think about medicines. There is never going to be a quick transition. He believes that if we don’t do this responsibly, Utah will add even more restrictions rather than opening things up.
Yes. While at University of Utah, he talked with lots of doctors. He says most doctors were pretty open to medications that help their patients as long as it meets the criteria of (1) they know it is safe, (2) they know the efficacy, and (3) they know what the dosing should be.
Blake’s goal is to determine what specific cannabinoids do and see how they can use them for therapeutic purposes. They are following a good process and they are focusing on safer extraction methods.
A combination of CBC, CBN, THC, Delta-8, and Delta-9. A combination between Delta-9 and Delta-8. He would then add CBN to help relax. CBC will help activate the endocannabinoid receptors.
Blake recommends low levels of THC and Delta-9. He would also add CBG, CBD.
Blake recommends Delta-8, CBD, and CBG.
There is lots of information out there. Some are good and some are bad. But there are scientific papers.
Zion is also performing studies on cannabinoids.
