In this episode of Utah in the Weeds, we are joined by Bijan Sakaki from Beehive Farmacy. Bijan shares his story and all about what introduced him to cannabis, as well as what we can expect at Beehive Farmacy.
Beehive Farmacy is the newest Utah Medical Marijuana dispensary, which opened October 2020. The address is 1991 South 3600 West, Salt Lake City, 84104, bordering the edge of West Valley on the North side of the I-201. Directions can be found on their Google page.
There will be a 3-lane drive-thru for recurring customers and online ordering. There is plenty of parking because it is a converted old bank building. A 40-foot podium sign with green crosses will soon be a very visible beacon of their location.
Their whole motto is plants over pills, so ‘Farmacy’ indicates that everything’s coming from one of the 8 farms here in Utah. As they’re not allowed to advertise, people mostly find out about Beehive Farmacy through their QMP offices like Utah Therapeutic Health Center, social media, word-of-mouth, and referrals from other pharmacies.
Beehive Farmacy does not cultivate, so they rely on the mutually beneficial relationships they have with cultivators to provide the wide range of products Beehive sells. This benefits their patients by giving them options. At the time of this podcast recording, they’d only been open five days, but the feedback’s been good about the varieties they sell.
On weekdays, they’re open 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday, their hours are 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Patients have found their online ordering feature very convenient. People can find them on Instagram and Google. Remember that it is Beehive Farmacy, with an F.
First-time patients that need a consultation can schedule one directly either from Instagram, or from their website at https://beehivefarmacy.co with their patient registration link. They will also be opening a second location in December, right across the street from Walmart in Brigham City to cater to the more rural demographic there.
Bijan was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when he was 12, but he didn’t find cannabis until he was 19 or 20. He comes from a very conservative immigrant family from Iran, so cannabis was taboo and had very negative connotations.
The cannabis tolerance in Utah at that time was also not nearly as positive as it is currently. Bijan remembers this as a very stressful time as he was very ill – it was even thought that he might have had T-cell leukemia. It was his brother who eventually introduced him to Medical Cannabis, which was extremely effective and relieved all his symptoms.
It was very difficult at that time to advocate for Medical Cannabis and source it, as it was still federally illegal. There was very little guidance on what to take, proper doses, and the effects of each; as Bijan discovered when he tried the very potent Rick Simpson oil. Bijan thinks we are extremely fortunate to now have access to products that have been properly tested and researched.
He points out that medical cannabis goes beyond just pharmacies; supply chain is just as important (with cultivators and processors coming into the picture, as not many pharmacies grow their own product).
Bijan believes that in the next 6 months or a year, the process will become much more streamlined. Well-known products like these are currently only being produced in neighboring states, and will soon be produced in Utah as well.
Bijan believes that patients ultimately want products that they know and trust, which he will strive to make available at Beehive Farmacy.
Around 2010, after Denver, Colorado and Portland, Oregon went recreational, Bijan had a vape pen, called a Wellness pen, that he began selling for profit at music festivals.
This made him aware of the marketing possibilities in the cannabis industry, though he was still very inexperienced regarding manufacturing, quality control, and quality assurance. It also taught him a lot about what not to do in the future, which helped him to navigate the cannabis market better as he learned from past mistakes.
After that, Bijan had a dispensary in Stockton, California, during the Prop 215 phase where it was going from the medical market to the adult use market, with many shifts in testing and regulations. You had to be nimble because as the law changed, your whole business model was impacted.
In California, recreational use meant added taxes, which made operating more difficult. Bijan points out that people have to be aware of that in Utah for the future. Moving from medicinal use only to recreational use will mean that patients have to pay more for their Medical Cannabis.
Over the last several years, Bijan exited from California to focus on Utah. He also joined up with two partners, one of whom is Paul Henderson, the current president of High Times. His other partner, Steve Brewster, is a local entrepreneur and tax expert who owns Millcreek Coffee. They all three bring complementary skills to Beehive Farmacy.
280E is the IRS tax code where you can’t write anything off except the cost of goods sold for a ‘federally illegal’ business. It was designed to capture drug traffickers. Lawmakers did not anticipate having some trades legitimized, like Medical Cannabis. In short, 280E prevents cannabis-related businesses from qualifying for tax deductions, and can also affect their access to banking services.
If cannabis were to be decriminalized and 280E goes away, it would have many positive effects for the cannabis industry, but could also complicate matters. One of the unknown factors is: How would cannabis then be treated? Could it then, for instance, be sold at regular pharmacies?
Bijan believes that because many of the issues around Medical Cannabis are complicated, they will not be resolved for several years. It needs to be done right so that the medical use of cannabis is not delegitimized, making the very real benefits of medical marijuana, discredited.
After Bijan got sick at the age 12, with a gastrointestinal auto-immune disease, he discovered paintball after no longer being able to play soccer. He soon started getting better at this new sport, as he learned to overcome his fears. This gave him good life experience as well.
It also introduced him to travel, as he was going to California every weekend. Once he did well regionally, he was fortunate enough to get picked up by teams from Australia and Holland. About five times a year, he went to Amsterdam to play professional paintball matches. Ironically, he was going to the only legal place for using cannabis, but he still didn’t partake himself.
However, in Holland he saw cannabis legitimized, giving him a different perspective not just on cannabis, but also on life. Paintball has a special place in his heart, for ultimately it led him to cannabis and changed his life.
At one point, Bijan was paying $11,000 a month for the medication he was prescribed, and Remicade was not covered by insurance.
One of Bijan’s favorite products is the Omura, a portable handheld device that vapes pre-filled flower sticks. They will work with the Sugar House Selects team in this regard and will have some of their own house brands as well.
He also wants to bring another device to market called the Indose which is a controlled dose distillate cartridge pen that actually measures the amount of THC being inhaled through the vapor so the dosage can be precisely calculated.
Tim agrees this is a big step forward for patients to be able to understand and maintain precise, consistent and safe dosing, especially for new patients.
Bijan is also thrilled to bring in Sugar House Selects’ strains of flower not previously available in Utah. They will also have Cookies corners in all of their stores, with all these products being cultivated, processed, and sold here in Utah. They will be implementing home delivery in the next couple of weeks.
Bijan will also be selling Puffcos, though they have no concentrates yet, as well as Volcanoes.They will also have high-quality DaVinci vaporizers, as well as Studenglass gravity pipes with electric vaporizers attached. They will stock grinders, and batteries for regular cartridges.
Bijan points out how important it is in the Medical Cannabis industry for people to help each other get in contact with the right people, to help and motivate them, and then paying that forward. This has helped establish the legal cannabis industry in Utah, good people helping good people. In fact, there are now about 20,000 legal cannabis users in Utah.
It is really important for any of these patients who are still letter holders to make sure that they get the legally required card, as the letters will expire on January 1st, 2021. To avoid delays in getting their cannabis medication, they need to get onto the electronic verification system [EVS], which streamlines the whole process.
Whereas a letter restricts a patient to one pharmacy, getting a card gives patients access to the many other pharmacies like Deseret in Provo, Curaleaf in Lehi, Dragonfly in Salt Lake, Wholesome in Bountiful, Perfect Earth in Ogden and Logan, and Bijan’s own dispensary Beehive Farmacy in Salt Lake. This also gives patients access to a much greater range of products and services.
Connect with Beehive Farmacy on their website or Instagram. Or reach out to Bijan on LinkedIn.
Tim can be reached here at utahmarijuana.org if anybody needs help converting from a letter to a card or needs help registering on the system. Chris can also be found on the official website for his I Am Salt Lake Podcast.
On this episode of the podcast, we get to chat with Stormy Simon, former President of Overstock.com and former CEO of High Times Magazine. Stormy is also running for election to the Utah House of Representatives to represent District 21.
Stormy Simon is the former president of Overstock.com and the former CEO of High Times. She is currently back in Utah, which has always been her home, to run for the Utah House of Representatives to represent District 21. She checked out different states but wanted to be part of the new emerging cannabis industry in Utah.
She believes in cannabis as a medicine and finds it iniquitous that people do not have access to it when they need it. She wants to be involved in the democratization and development of the massive beneficial potential of the Medical Cannabis industry, starting with its de-stigmatization.
Stormy comes from a marketing and management background. She started at Overstock in late 2001 as a temp, and was closely involved in building up the company from 100 workers to an amazing and very diverse workforce of 2000 employees.
Over the course of 12 years she became the president of Overstock, a position she held for three and a half years. During that time, she explored e-commerce long before it was even really a factor in the marketplace. By the time she left, Overstock’s business had grown from $18 million to almost $2 billion.
She left Overstock to become involved in the Medical Cannabis industry. She went to Denver, CO, which at the time was one of only two adult usage states for Medical Cannabis (the other being Washington). In Denver, she joined two medical dispensaries and a 90,000 square foot cannabis cultivation center. Here she learned a great deal about cannabis and the laws surrounding it.
In Denver, Stormy talked with many people and found out how effective cannabis was in treating a huge variety of diseases including irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease. It was a truly eye-opening experience for her, and she became convinced about the imperative need for Medical Cannabis to be made freely available as it can be life-changing for patients. Cannabis had, in fact, been used as traditional medicine for thousands of years.
She was amazed at the prejudice, ignorance, and blinkered views and attitudes that still surround cannabis. To a large extent, this can be ascribed to a deliberate campaign years ago by people like Harry Anslinger, Rockefeller, and Hearst to suppress information about cannabis as a medicine. Stormy is enthusiastic about the exciting possibilities of further in-depth and scientific research being done into cannabis and hemp, as well as its correlation to the human endocannabinoid system.
During her time in Denver, Stormy became aware of how unfairly taxation and banking worked in regards to the cannabis industry. Business owners were being forced into cumbersome and unsafe banking practices. She joined a group in San Diego that had a license with blockchain technology. They were successful in having a more equitable banking and payment system established at about 10 dispensaries across a few different states. She also joined the board of CannaKids, a groundbreaking company providing Medical Cannabis in California.
She had been on the board of High Times for several years before joining them as CEO when they really needed her managerial skills. By this time, Stormy had become an extreme advocate for cannabis as medicine, so she viewed joining High Times as an opportunity “to blow the horn and spread a word” about Medical Cannabis.
When she joined them as CEO, she made it clear that it would have to be a short-term appointment as she would most likely be running for office in Utah. She was with them for only about six months, as COVID lengthened the time she spent there.
Stormy has always regarded Utah as her home. As a US citizen, she feels she has the right to make her voice heard. She is not a fan of the Utah state legislature overriding anybody’s vote. They do tend to go back on legislation and change and adjust, as happened with Medicaid expansion, cannabis, and the food tax.
She also feels that there is a great need for more women in the Utah legislature – out of more than 100 representatives, only 26 are women. She feels that greater diversity in the legislature will contribute very much to the collective good.
Stormy is happy that Utah has cannabis as a medicine. She understands that this is a significant step in the right direction towards making Medical Cannabis available to everybody who needs it.
Regarding the huge effort and expense that went into drafting the legislation and having Utah vote on it, simply to have that vote disregarded and a compromise bill enacted, she sees this as deeply reprehensible. Having people vote on and accept one bill, and then enacting a compromise bill, was not only untruthful, but it was also insulting to the people of Utah. Utahns are smart enough to make decisions and smart enough to understand what it means when they vote, “Yes”. Their vote should be respected.
Stormy points out that the vote has not been decided yet, and that she is running as a Democrat in a strongly Republican state. She has been outspoken about her views that she feels strongly about. Mostly she believes in connecting people, and that everyone’s vote is important and meaningful. Everybody should work towards and cooperate for the good of their state.
All her experience tells her that this cooperation towards the collective good is crucial. Setting off on her current journey is the hardest thing she’s ever done. She’s been attacked and criticized and called names because she put a D next to her name. This has surprised her and makes her sad, not only for Utah, but for America as well because she feels so strongly that people need to get along.
Stormy confirms that VoteStormySimon.com is the website for her campaign. It outlines some of her issues like allowing more nuclear waste to be dumped in Utah, water issues, and inland port issues. She stresses that it’s important that citizens get involved. She also has another website, StormySimon.com that includes her podcast, Lunch with Stormy, where she speaks with many diverse people from various fields.
Cannabis is medicine and it’s important that people talk about it because it breaks down the stigma. Studies in Israel have highlighted its many benefits. The more people talk about Medical Cannabis, the less people will be scared of it, and be open to its many life-changing medical benefits.
The people who will be featured or have already been featured on her podcasts include Tommy Chong, Sarah Riggs Amico, Lennox Samuels, Dee Dee Sorvino, and Emily White, amongst others.
She just wants to urge people to be kind. She feels there’s room for all of us here. She believes we need to show more love and understanding and not so much hate just because of who we vote for. Stormy wants people to have more peace, love, and happiness in their lives.
Tim can be reached here at utahmarijuana.org where they just launched a new chat feature and they have people standing by during the day to answers questions.
Chris can be found on his I Am Salt Lake Podcast website where you can hear about local foodie people and the impact of COVID on local eateries.
Shelly is the social media manager for the group Utah Patients for Cannabis and Natural Choices. The group was founded on Facebook in 2016, she affirms that their purpose is to lift the stigma on cannabis and improve people’s knowledge about the many incredible benefits of the drug. In fact, they were the first group to represent Medical Cannabis in a Utah Parade, which occured in Magna, Utah.
She is also a Medical Cannabis patient and was the first patient to buy a cannabis product in Ogden when she bought some Sundae Driver flower.
She dabbled a bit with recreational cannabis in her youth, but then, in the late ‘90s developed searing pain in her sinuses and a double earache that didn’t respond to antibiotics. It turned out to be trigeminal neuralgia.
She was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease, and facet disease, and had a 5-level fusion done in her neck from C3 to T1. Being treated with conventional medicines was complicated by the fact that she had bad reactions to them.
The biggest turning point for her came when an aunt gave her some cannabis oil that not only alleviated her severe pain, and, in fact, set her on the road to learning everything she could find out about cannabis.
And that’s what she also envisages with the Utah Patients for Cannabis and Natural Choices group. It is to help others understand and learn about cannabis. She confirms that trigeminal neuralgia, also referred to as ‘the suicide disease’, causes extreme and debilitating levels of pain.
She applies cannabis bombs at the base of her skull, on her neck and at her temples and it helps tremendously because it works through a numbing sensation.
She has actually gotten into learning how to produce her own Medical Cannabis products because it is prohibitively expensive to buy the preprocessed medications.
She has learnt how to infuse oil which is extremely multipurpose. It can be used as a sublingual and capsules. You can cook with it, put it on your skin, and mixed with a little bit of coconut oil, it makes a nice cream.
She has a Levo II that she uses for processing her own product which makes it much more affordable. It also comes with a potency calculator so you can calculate the strength of your product. She starts with a sublingual in the morning to get her out of bed in the morning because she wakes up so sore. She will then supplement through the day as needed, either with her dry herb vaporizer or capsules. She’s even used the base oil she produces as bath oil to good effect.
Shelly confirms that by microdosing like this and with the acquired tolerance cannabis patients build up, they live a normal life. Their pain levels are controlled without them getting ‘high’. So they get the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, without having the side-effects.
She did hide it when she was raising kids, but now she has just come right out of the proverbial closet. Her family supports her, her friends support her, and they think it’s wonderful that she has the purpose of helping people through the Utah Patients for Cannabis and Natural Choices group. She enjoys talking to people and helping them out.
Shelly thinks the computer system needs a lot of help because patients have a hard time navigating it. She would also like to see patient caps removed as there’s no reason for them.
She also really thinks that education of law enforcement officers is urgently needed. She applauds the officers who have actually come into the pharmacy and asked for a copy of the law so that they could inform themselves.
Shelley points out that some legal cannabis patients are still being cited illegally and having their medicine removed by poorly informed officers. She advises people to always keep a physical copy of their card on them to prove that they are a Medical Cannabis patient, even though they may have a virtual one on their phone.
They should also put a lock on the bag or case that they carry their cannabis product in to comply with the law that states that cannabis should be in a tamper-proof, opaque container. They should also not carry large quantities. Having some proof of the original packaging with the pharmacist’s receipt would also be a good idea.
Shelly emphasizes that patients should make sure that they know what the law says, what their rights are, and ensure that they are within the strictures of the law.
Shelly points out that unfortunately not all officers are up to date regarding the law, and though illegal citations will usually be dropped, it can result in not just inconvenience, but also costs for the people involved. Ridiculous things, like somebody’s $100 bottle of cream being confiscated, unfortunately still happen.
Shelly points out that the group regards no question as stupid; they are all still learning constantly. It is all about supporting each other. Before COVID, they would have get-togethers. They also work with lawmakers to promote changes to the law.
They are mainly an education group – their main focus is to promote knowledge about cannabis and combat the stigma attached to it.
She first got fibromyalgia. Then one day she woke up and her left arm was numb. An MRI revealed that she had several bulging discs and many bone spurs probably caused by age and several accidents she had had in her life. They went in and cleaned up all the bone spurs.
However, that proved inadequate – so they had to do a second surgery with a fusion from C3 to T1. Fortunately, she now has better movement than she had before. The last surgery was done just a year before.
Her surgeon at the time was not comfortable with her using cannabis for pain control. But she was not getting the relief she needed from traditional medication, so she actually left the hospital after only one day because she knew she could take care of the pain better at home. She was only on pain pills for about two days.
She believes that cannabis and pain medication can work together, but she doesn’t like pain pills. They make her feel sick and tired, and all she wants to do is sleep. Cannabis, on the other hand, gives her energy.
She confirms that it’s been a long ride, but she’s glad it went the way it did, because if she hadn’t have found cannabis, she could have gone down some pretty bad roads.
She’s grateful to her aunt for giving her more knowledge about it. She’s thankful for the Utah Patients for Cannabis and Natural Choices group for giving her a purpose and she’s just happy to be able to move and not be in so much pain.
Shelly never expected Utah to legalize Medical Cannabis. She really thought she would need to move to a legal state once her husband had retired. She points out that it was pretty scary to live without legal sanction.
Shelly points out that there are only two months left to turn a Medical Cannabis letter into a card. On January 1st, it’s no longer going to be legal to possess cannabis with only your letter. But up until January 1st, it’s a blanket protection that anybody can use.
How the protection works is that they wrote in the law that you could possess cannabis as long as it was in the formats and the amounts allotted up until January 1, 2021. After January 1st, you have to have a Medical Cannabis Card, or it will be illegal.
Shelly takes message requests all the time online, and she and the group are on Facebook and Twitter. The social media group focuses on dispelling the stigmas around Medical Cannabis, educating to promote responsible and safe cannabis legislation. Education on the subject is important and she would be delighted for you to come join them.
Tim can be reached here at utahmarijuana.org where they just launched a new chat feature, and they have people standing by during the day to answers questions.
Chris can be found on his I am Salt Lake podcast website where you can hear about local foodie people and the impact of COVID on local eateries.
This is Utah in the Weeds, episode 28. It features a very special guest, Zac King, who is a Medical Cannabis patient. Zac is a regular listener to the podcast.
He had been listening to other podcasts while working as a plumber, but Utah in the Weeds just caught his attention. As he lived in Utah, he loved the fact that the podcast was about Utah, particularly as a cannabis user in Utah.
He wanted to be legit, and when he saw that they were looking for patients who had had experience with the program, he felt that he would love to share his experiences on what he regarded as a very neat podcast.
Though there are six pharmacies open in Utah at the time of this podcast, Zac has only bought from Wholesome as allowed by his authorization letter. Zac loves the very friendly and knowledgeable staff at WholesomeCo who could answer all his questions about terpenes, different minor cannabinoids and Delta-8, substances that had helped to change his life. He’s found it great to be able to do so legally.
Zac refers to the proposed bill in Utah that will deal with Delta-8 and the total permissible THC levels. He believes that it is in reaction to a ruling by the DEA about including Delta-8 as it was not something they necessarily approved of. He points out that had the MORE Act been passed, this would not be an issue at all.
Unfortunately, the negative and outdated ‘Anslinger mentality’ still informed stereotypical attitudes to the use of cannabis and problematized people’s access to the plant and its beneficial health products.
Zac got introduced to cannabis in 1997 when he was 13 years old. He heard different things from different people about the ‘herb’. A paintball injury to his eye left him with major migraines and continual pain. He had at that stage joined a new group of friends who used cannabis. He tried it and enjoyed it.
However, when he went to seminary, he stopped using it, but at college he was introduced to more liberal attitudes and freedom and the rule of law. And he started to rethink his decision to stop using cannabis, as it helped for all sorts of things like his pain.
He’d heard of Medical Cannabis before, but having grown up in the small town of Lewiston, Utah, was still influenced by the stigmatized view there of cannabis as a bad, dangerous, and scary thing. In reality, he found it helped with his pain and stress levels and had no negative side effects like other medications he had been prescribed.
He went to school to be a nurse. He was a CNA for five years, and worked with people that were quadriplegics, as well as hospice patients. Because he had suffered so badly with his eye injury, he felt that he wanted to take away the suffering of others.
He started to learn a little bit more about cannabis, and when Colorado legalized cannabis, he started using cannabis again. However, he was also drinking. The suicide of his wife spiraled him down into becoming an alcoholic.
He was given the opportunity to become a plumber, which he did, but he was still drinking and struggling to figure out his life. Then, on an occasion when he was using mushrooms, he had an epiphany. He realized that he had lost his true self and needed to completely change his life, and he started doing that.
On 4/20 of this year, he had been three years sober from alcohol and was also off all prescription medicines. He had been taking six different pills for pain, nausea, and PTSD. All he uses now is Medical Cannabis. He really feels that he wants to be ‘free’, and that this wonderful plant with all its amazing benefits has changed his life and helped him find his Savior.
Zac says straight out that he would be dead. He was suicidal. The dreadful migraines that he had were never really helped by pills and compresses, but with certain strains of cannabis the relief is amazing. It enables him to live his life and function without being ‘high’.
Zac is convinced that he owes his life to his family, his Savior, and the remarkable properties of this beautiful plant. He feels very strongly that the life-changing potential of Medical Cannabis MUST be made available to patients because it’s so remarkably effective. He believes that is why God gave us the plant.
Zac says that having developed some tolerance actually works to his benefit. He uses a 50/50 balance of CBD flower and THC flower, which helps with his pain and also with his PTSD, but he is not overwhelmed. He gets his CBD flower from the farms, because it can’t be bought in Utah even if the plants have been tested and found to be lower than 0.3 THC in content.
As a Medical Cannabis patient, it puzzles Zac that he is not allowed to grow his own cannabis, or have access to a grower in Utah that is ordained by the State, and is allowed to legally supply him. Home-growing probably scares the authorities because they would not have control over it.
Zac no longer smokes cannabis. He bought a Pax 2 vaporizer that he uses with a tincture. He still gets all the terpenes and medical benefit for pain and anxiety relief from his cannabis without having to combust it.
Being sober enabled Zac to create a really in-depth study of the Hampton cannabis world lately. He has used online sources like Leafly and Weedmaps to good effect. Whenever he encounters a new strain, he researches it and the effects it has. So far, he has only encountered positives regarding the cannabinoids he’s come across, with even things like flavonoids being three times more potent than aspirin.
Even though the law has been passed, there are still problems about pharmacies dispensing Medical Cannabis – as Zac discovered when he was trying to find alternatives to using IHC. He had to ‘shop for a doctor’ to obtain a letter authorizing his use of Medical Cannabis alternatives. He very much appreciates being able to be honest now about using Medical Cannabis.
In conjunction, he is also just trying to live a healthier lifestyle with pro- and prebiotics, multivitamins, CBD, mushrooms, and other healthy microbes. He emphasizes the benefits of producing one’s own food and wishes that this could be extended to hemp and cannabis as well to everybody’s mutual benefit.
Zac believes that it basically just boils down to knowledge and education. He first had to come to feel okay about using cannabis himself before his family came to accept it. Now his church has actually come out with a stance saying that they support the use of Medical Cannabis. This seems to hold true in general as well, though recreational use is still discouraged, with some stigmatization still prevailing.
At this time availability is also still an issue, though there is a great need for Medical Cannabis. Medical Cards and letters should be accepted without any problems. The relevant knowledge and science needs to be shared widely which should make for more acceptance and less prejudice.
Zac confirms that cannabis is very unaffordable, which is very unfortunate particularly in view of the fact that there is a black market out there. Zac believes that the biggest issue is that the supply is not nearly adequate.
The growers, like Tryke, Wholesome, Zion, etc., should be encouraged to commit to higher levels of production. Dragonfly is rumored to have sold their license. There are simply not enough growers in Utah. The story behind well-known Redbeard Farmer no longer producing should be established.
Zac says that he would love the chance to let ‘this herb teach the world’ and find out more about different phenotypes and varieties, like hot lavender, to establish just what this herb can offer.
So if the law would permit it, and the opportunity presents itself, he would take up growing in a heartbeat, but understanding and building one’s knowledge is the biggest key, and he would love to hear what the different growers say about it. He emphasizes the amazing potential of the cannabis plant for improving people’s lives.
Zac says that Lamb’s breath and Durban Poison are amazing, as are the Kushes and Chemdog. He’d love to try some of the older landrace strains, like a Thai Stick would be amazing, as would the sativas and the indicas.
Zac’s in-depth knowledge about cannabis is clear in his discussion of the different cannabis varieties. It is also clear that he is serious about the use of Medical Cannabis and that he uses it as a tool and as a medical device. For instance, he uses it to relieve his severe migraines and restore the balance of his endocannabinoid system.
Yes, it did. It took him three years to figure out how to use cannabis properly, but it helped him to give up alcohol. In this process, he utilized Plain Jane hemp cigarettes, but he stopped using those when he stopped smoking cigarettes. He also replaced vaping nicotine with vaping cannabis cartridges. Cannabis just gave him the boost to overcome his addictions and no longer need conventional medicines.
Zac would advise them to go to Google for information about where to buy legal hemp flowers and a wide variety of products all over America that can be shipped to Utah, though they are not available in Utah itself.
Zac started finding out about legal hemp through a guy who did reviews on Black Tie CBD. In this way, he discovered that a variety of legal hemp products were available, including CBD oil and CBD flower.
Zac would like to see Utah become the new Mecca for Medical Cannabis with better utilization leading to lower prices. There will be hugely increased demand when all the authorization letters are converted to cards, and people become even more aware of the beneficial effects of Medical Cannabis.
They’ll look at people like Zac, and say, “Hey, this guy used to be a drunk, and now he is living a good life and he’s not a jerk. And he’s nice, and he works hard and he’s happy.” And they will want access to the same benefits. Zac confirms it’s an exit drug, it’s uplifting, and it can be used for good.
Tim can be reached here at utahmarijuana.org if anybody needs help converting from a letter to a card and how to register on the system.
Zac is on Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached at zacnking@gmail.com, and he also has videos on YouTube.
Chris can be found on his I am Salt Lake podcast website.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in the “In the Weeds” podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of KindlyMD or UtahMarijuana.org. The personal experiences shared in these episodes are for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as medical advice or endorsements of any specific treatment.
KindlyMD does not treat substance use disorder (SUD) and does not advocate for or promote the use of cannabis as a treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) or any other form of addiction. Any discussion of cannabis in relation to addiction recovery reflects the perspectives of the individuals featured in the podcast and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are struggling with addiction or seeking treatment options, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.
Introducing Trevor Ung, In Motion CBD, and Ung Family Farms [01:00]
Why Trevor came back to Utah and decided to focus on hemp [02:10]
Trevor explains the Hemp Pilot Project in Utah [02:50]
Trevor is asked what his views are now that he is in his second year in the hemp industry [04:31]
Trevor talks about the fencing needed around the new farm [06:45]
Trevor talks about proposed laws he’s concerned about [10:07]
How does the testing process work to establish if a crop is legal or not? [13:03]
Trevor sheds more light on the complexities of growing hemp [14:09]
What the situation is like now [15:37]
What products does Trevor plan to produce? [17:26]
What products is Trevor allowed to produce at this point? [18:36]
Trevor discusses the difficult situation further [19:49]
Is Trevor trying to get into other cannabinoids, or are the genetics too restrictive? [22:24]
Is Trevor able to sell to a dispensary? [23:50]
Trevor speaks about some of the beneficial hemp strains available [26:22]
How big are the hemp plants that Trevor has to process? [29:25]
Does Trevor have a way for volunteers to connect with him? [30:30]
What happens after harvesting? [32:22]
How has all this affected Trevor’s family? [33:13]
What keeps Trevor going and motivated? [34:18]
What are the effects of smoking a strong CBD strain or a low THC strain? [35:23]
What are the hemp products that Trevor would like to make? [37:09]
Trevor relates why he left Utah and went to Denver [40:55]
How can listeners find out more about Trevor’s products, or get in touch with him? [42:50]
Trevor’s hemp farm is located in Payson, Utah, and he is a grower-turned-farmer. He started growing in Colorado about ten years ago, working in large scale grows as well as on their marketing and advertising. Here he learned about the marijuana plant and how it’s grown, which has always interested him.
Trevor embraced the chance to move home and watch the industry take off in Utah. He started here last year in the pilot program, working on 3 acres of his father’s 5-acre property while he figured out the farming techniques. They are currently in the middle of their harvest.
Trevor was drawn to the Utah cannabis industry in general, and has an interest in the medical marijuana field as well, but felt navigating the rules and regulations of the industry would present a bigger challenge than getting his foot in the door with hemp farming.
Trevor says this program was the first year hemp was grown in Utah, so the Utah Department of Agriculture just called it a pilot program; it is now just referred to as the hemp industry.
There were about 240 licensed growers last year which included collectives, other associations, and a lot of lease farmers. Basically, everybody is joining up and trying to figure the hemp industry out together.
Trevor says that since last year he has got the rest of his family involved. The farm is licensed under the name Ungo Hemp CBD Farms. The name reflects a nickname that he had growing up.
After his first season, they found an 11-acre property a mile from his dad’s place and joined the two together, so now they are farming on 11 acres. They work hard, using specialized equipment, a lot of employees, and a lot of volunteers.
He points out that it’s a whole new animal growing hemp on a large scale. They experience a lot of curiosity from neighbors and the public, and they had to deal with some theft last year.
Last year their fencing was just basically pasture fencing, but they have since upgraded so they now have a 6-foot, no-climb fence with wood posts every 25 feet with T-posts in between, which was pretty expensive. Putting up the fence and greenhouses was their spring project. They’ve still had people cutting through the fence, so they’ve had to invest in cameras.
You have to be 18 or older, have a clean record (no drug charges in the last 10 years), pass an FBI background check, and go through the licensing process. The cost for the license fee was only $560, so not too crazy, and then you’ve got to build your business, your LLCs, etc.
Growing for your own use on a smaller scale is also subject to various rules. Trevor is more concerned about bigger laws that are threatening the hemp industry.
There are some proposed laws for a new cannabinoid, Delta 8, which might be added to the total TAC percent potency tests. One of their struggles as farmers is producing a crop that is not going to be over that 0.3% THC level. 0.3% THC is in fact very, very little, but there’s just not a lot of perfect genetic strains out there that will ensure the crop stays below the required level.
This means it’s very easy to grow a ‘hot’ plant that is just marginally over that limit and then becomes illegal. In short, if Delta 8 is added to the total THC contents, it would most likely push a lot of hemp farmers over that 0.35% threshold.
This could mean that a lot of crops might have to be destroyed, or go to a specialized extraction facility where they could extract or dilute those THC levels. The hemp farmers are currently having meetings with the Department of Agriculture about these proposed laws, as well as other matters.
Once the plant is about halfway through its flowering period, the farmer calls the State to come and take samples. If those samples come back at 0.3%, then the State will approve the crop for harvesting with 30 days to harvest.
However, if the test result comes back at, for instance, 0.37% THC, they will say the crop failed. The farmer will then get hit with a violation, and will either have to be destroyed – or it has to go through that specialized extraction route. Trevor is not sure whether that is even allowed yet. In the previous year, a lot of crops had to be destroyed.
When you get your test results back, they give you another 30 days to grow the crop, during which time the THC levels are still going to be rising. By the time you harvest, they might well be over that 0.35% THC level. You might see 0.4, 0.5% THC, which is still okay because your crop was deemed legal, which makes this a weird gray area.
Trevor believes they need to raise the acceptable THC level to 1%. This won’t get customers high, but it will mean farmers can have successful crops without being threatened by these very low 0.35% levels.
As regards the extraction process, they can take these crops and extract out the THC or separate them, or even come out with a CBD isolate.
The situation is very tough right now. Growing hemp is a brand-new industry and the 0.3% THC levels are very old school. Trevor believes that needs to be reassessed and set at something like 1% THC.
He also refers to the stigmas that still cling to the hemp plant. Hemp farmers are treated very differently. They can’t even sell their own flower anywhere in Utah to anybody else aside from licensed extraction facilities or other farmers.
Trevor would love to create a pack of smokes that can compete with the tobacco industry and give people who don’t want to smoke cigarettes another option. There are many things farmers could do with this plant, but their hands are tied.
The plan is to make his own products, but it isn’t happening at the moment. Currently, they have distillate products, and he intends their next product line to be more full-spectrum products. All four of their current products are made from the CBD isolate and don’t contain any THC.
Trevor believes that hemp farmers are only allowed to consume their own flowers in their own homes. However, smokable flowers are brought into Utah every day legally through the Internet, and all the other States outside are selling it in Utah as well. It’s really weird!
But as regards Utah hemp farmers, the Department of Agriculture will not give them a label, or approve a label for any kind of smokable or even vapeable flower. So Utah hemp farmers have to sell their flowers out of state to other people who are creating these smokable products, which are then sold back to Utah. It’s a crazy situation.
It is a struggle for the hemp farmers in Utah. Their products have to get tested multiple times. All of their products come with a QR code that you can scan with your phone which takes you to the CFA, a certificate of analysis that tells you exactly what its tested levels are. Trevor thinks that the Sheriff’s department just doesn’t want to see people smoking hemp flowers. There is just this stigma attached to it.
Trevor fully understands that the hemp industry should be regulated, particularly for stronger hemp products. But he would really like to be able to compete with the tobacco industry as hemp offers a ‘healthy smoke’ with medicinal potential and is safer than a cigarette. He would like to get people off cigarettes and smoking something that has some CBD benefits.
CBG is a really big cannabinoid that’s very popular right now, and he believes that’s going to be a very successful route for especially Utah growers, as they’re producing little to no THC. So CBG is definitely a great cannabinoid that they’re looking into.
That is one route they’re actually looking into right now, but he believes they are able to transfer their hemp flower to the Utah dispensaries. Their current abundant crop was all grown from clones to ensure that they had high-quality female seedless plants. They’re hoping to hit the medical industry.
Despite the perception that the higher the THC strain the better the medicine, many people would benefit from lower THC strains. Trevor says he has even heard that the CBD actually negates the THC, so it could possibly reverse some of those psychoactive effects. Apparently, it doesn’t take away the high but does have a ‘buffering’ effect.
There are some awesome genetics and growers out there who are producing true medicinal strains. One of his favorite breeders is out in Colorado, Scott Reach with Rare Dankness. He grows some true medicinal strains like White Rhino, which is around 18% THC, but also at least 7% CBD.
It is hoped that there will be more of that in Utah over time, though that will probably take a combined effort by Trevor and other growers to achieve.
Though they haven’t got into that too deeply yet, they have a lot of interest in doing fibers and textiles. Currently, the plant, (apart from the flower), referred to as biomass, is ground and milled in preparation for the extraction process to obtain the oils that they use in their vape cartridges, tinctures, and pain cream.
They are, in fact, currently learning how to utilize this biomass more effectively as they have a lot of plant material that has to be out of the ground by a certain date according to state regulations. But processing biomass requires specialized machinery and is very labor-intensive, so it is still a big learning curve for them.
The plants range from a foot high to even five, six, or seven feet tall. There are thousands of plants to deal with. Harvesting takes weeks and it’s a crazy time! Trevor would be happy for any volunteers to come and help, learning about the plants in the process.
So far they get volunteers via social media, especially Facebook. People send messages and Trevor has broadcast his phone number on there a few times. But they really have a lot of work to do so volunteers will be greatly appreciated!
They’re trying to network as much as possible. They have some groups they’re working with locally that have connections in Oregon. Trevor’s been talking a lot with a gentleman named Scott with a home base out of Oregon and some potential flower buyer connections, and hopefully, they’ll be able to work through their downline.
They will also be advertising on their own website to try and sell their smokable flower out of state. They will also be trying to lobby Utah to eventually allow them to do something with their flower.
Trevor says that they’re all in, literally! They’ve all supported him, and he wouldn’t be able to be doing this without his family. That’s where the name Ung Family Farms comes from. He has his older brother and little sister and both of their spouses involved, along with his girlfriend, dad, and mom. They don’t have fancy equipment, so it’s been a hard grind every day.
It’s been his dream. Trevor is passionate about hemp, and he’s been involved in the cannabis industry for about 15 years. He supports the medical and recreational use of cannabis and regards it as a safer option than tobacco and alcohol, with many benefits.
Trevor explains it’s relaxing and calming without the psychoactive high. When it gets to the concentrated side with dabbable CBD, though he hasn’t done it himself, he’s been told it feels like you’re putting on a warm blanket.
He takes CBD when his muscles are sore and his body needs relaxation. He has not yet obtained a medical card. The suggestion is made that they should do an onsite clinic day at Trevor’s farm to inform people about the process of getting approved for a medical card.
Smokable flower is Trevor’s big dream, especially as a farmer. He would like to one day run a ‘you pick’ style farm, where he and all the other farmers open up their doors, and where people can come and pick their own favorite nugs, and they’ll sell it to their customers by the pound. From there people could use it in whatever way they want.
There are so many people who want to know more about the plant and experience it, and they want to do it in a legal way, in a safe environment. Most of Trevor’s volunteers are people who use the plant and are excited about it, and they’ve been awesome.
Amongst them is someone with cerebral palsy. Trevor believes that everybody should have access to this plant medically or recreationally.
Because of the conservative nature of Utah, Trevor got in trouble for growing a single plant when he was 22 years old, and almost faced felony charges. So he went to Denver to follow his dreams. He waited until he saw Utah was coming around and it was safe for him to come home.
Trevor says that they have four products available right now, but are going to be releasing more as soon as they get out of the field and can start doing some product development.
Trevor’s website is inmotioncbd.com, or find him on Facebook or Instagram:
How Deseret Wellness deals with patients with letters [07:45]
Will Deseret Wellness be doing home-deliveries? [13:11]
What makes the current legal situation is still confusing [19:56]
Jeremy discusses Deseret Wellness’s products and supply and online menu [20:44]
Where Jeremy sees Deseret Wellness in five years’ time? And what he does for fun [24:15]
What Deseret Wellness tries to do for their patients and how to contact them [31:34]
Deseret Wellness’s goal in coming to Utah is to provide effective and affordable cannabis-based therapies in a safe and welcoming environment. Their dispensary is clean, bright, and welcoming. Jeremy Sumerix is their marketing president.
Jeremy Sumerix is a Utah native who was born and raised in American Fork. He attended Southern Utah University, whereafter a career in retail took him all over the country.
He was in the cannabis industry for several years, working for the national retailer MedMen in Florida, where the cannabis industry is vibrant.
When he was approached by Deseret Wellness to establish outlets in Utah, he leaped at the chance to come home and bring cannabis therapy to the patients in Utah.
Deseret Wellness was granted a license to open in Provo, and a further license to open in Park City which will happen later this year, or at the beginning of January 2021.
Their Provo site is really accessible to all parts of Provo as they are located right off the Center Street exit. They’ll be putting up a 35-foot green cross pole to signpost the dispensary soon.
In setting up Deseret Wellness, Jeremy found the Utah County Commissioner very easy to work with. Though the population is smaller, Utah residents are generally law-abiding and straightforward, which makes the illicit cannabis market weaker in Utah County. This bodes well for legal outlets like Deseret Wellness.
Deseret Wellness is pleased with how quickly they’ve been able to increase their number of patients, with a steady flow coming into the dispensary. Luckily, patient numbers have not been so large that they’ve had to turn people away.
Cardholders can walk in, and because preregistration is not required, they can have their product within ten minutes.
Jeremy acknowledges that patients with letters of recommendation are a bit more difficult. As per state mandate, letters have to be verified, particularly if they have been getting their product from another pharmacy.
Due to various factors, there may be delays in this regard, which makes it sensible for patients with letters of recommendation to preregister, because then everything can be verified. Within the course of 2-3 business days, they will be notified and will be able to collect their product without any delay.
Desert Wellness holds a strictly retail license and does not have a grow license. It sells whatever products are out on the market, but they consider themselves homegrown with Jeremy having grown up just down the road, and most of their employees being from Utah. The company is a member of the Utah Chamber of Commerce. They aim to be a friendly neighborhood pharmacy to the community.
The timing of their opening was challenging. The opening of the pharmacy was complicated by software and legal issues, with the State requiring that all verification be done by a pharmacist.
However, this has now been dealt with and is no longer an issue, though they are still working with the State and other pharmacies to streamline the process. Desert Wellness is the southernmost dispensary in the State of Utah, and will soon be opening an outlet in Park City as well.
Deseret is just about ready to launch curbside and in-store pickup for patients that have been registered and bought from them before. When the State finalizes the regulations on home delivery, that service will be included as well as it is envisioned to be big, especially in the Park City outlet.
Home deliveries will be big, particularly because the issuing of licenses for cannabis outlets has been capped. Jeremy understands the rationale behind this strategy and believes that these conditions might be relaxed once the industry has proved that it is safe and viable, something he is very keen to do.
They are very excited about their two different outlets and are hopeful that they’ve found a model that is scalable.
The second outlet, Park City, will be very different from their Provo dispensary with a more downtown vibe as it is smaller and expected to be busier.
Seasonality is expected to have an impact considering its proximity to the Sundance Film Festival.
Jeremy confirms that it is legal for out-of-state patients, who have a card authorizing them to obtain medical cannabis, to get their medication in Utah. However, the rule has not yet been established with the parameters being clearly set out.
Deseret has a lobbyist who is working directly with the state to figure out how to pin down those regulations, although it is not yet clear when that will happen.
People only have to be able to prove residency in order to get a temporary card so that they can get their medication. Their identity also has to be confirmed and there is a list online that clarifies this.
Jeremy confirms that Deseret Wellness has a significant number of out-of-state patients, and an out-of-state license does not disqualify them as long as they can prove Utah residency. Dual residency also simplifies matters in this regard.
There is a shortage of information pertaining to the establishment of legal outlets for cannabis products and the rules in this regard are very technical. This is bound to happen if it’s a new system where you have a controlled substance to which you’re allowing access for the first time.
Jeremy confirms that there is an ‘extra layer of careful’ in Utah, which he respects. Because there are a lot of people who don’t have much experience in the cannabis industry involved in making the rules, it is going to take a bit longer.
Regarding local supply, Jeremy says that he really can’t complain. They haven’t had any product issues with partners, growers, or processors. The only thing they haven’t yet been able to sell has been concentrates because so few processors are actually producing them.
In regards to flower, they have not run out in general, though the favorite strains tend to go quickly. They have a diverse selection of vapes. They also have CBD bombs, oral sprays, and tinctures.
Jeremy would love to be able to offer their patients gel capsules, but nobody seems to be producing those yet. He has seen those in different markets as they are very popular in some of the medicinal markets. In New York, for example, capsules are very popular and there is a notable demand for them as they are very effective as regards dose control and reliable time of relief compared to other intake methods.
Jeremy believes that if they could get concentrates and gel capsules for their patients, it would be very much to their patient’s benefit.
Jeremy emphasizes that they post a limited online menu, as they currently have a landing page. However, their fully operational website will launch in the next few weeks when they will have a more robust menu online.
They don’t want patients to see something online and then find it has been sold out when they come into the shop, so they are currently deliberately posting a limited menu that is updated every day to ensure availability.
Though he’s been too busy in setting up Deseret Wellness to think too far ahead, Jeremy says that to be in an industry where you can literally change somebody’s life has been enormous for him, and he sees himself working in the cannabis industry indefinitely.
Deseret Wellness is very specifically catered and tied to Utah, so he does not expect them to do something outside of the State. However, Jeremy himself would love to be involved in bringing cannabis products to other markets like Montana or Texas at some point. He emphasizes that establishing Deseret Wellness is very much still a learning curve for him.
Coming from Florida, he plays a lot of golf! He grew up skiing and snowboarding, which he has also taught, so he wants to get back into that.
Jeremy holds a different view than most people, in that he thinks that legalizing cannabis in Utah at the federal level will take much longer than expected. Federal Tax regulation 280E allows federally recognized business entities to write off certain expenses like payroll, rent, etc.
However, anybody that operates in the cannabis space doesn’t get those exceptions. 280E says that businesses in the cannabis industry have to pay the same taxes that every other business pays, but they get zero tax relief. This also affects the cannabis industry with things like COVID relief which was not extended to the cannabis industry.
Jeremy thinks that because the government makes a lot of money on the cannabis industry paying taxes, and not getting any discounts because of 280E, there is very little incentive for them to legalize it. They would make less money off taxing the cannabis industry if it were legalized and therefore qualifying for discounts.
Another difficulty lies in the fact that it is a difficult industry to regulate. When you legalize something, you’re going to get more regulation. So Big Pharma and other businesses will still fight the legalization of the cannabis industry and the rescheduling of a Schedule 1 product, he believes.
On being asked how California seems to have made legalizing cannabis work, Jeremy points out that there is a huge illicit market in California, with many dispensaries being illegal though they look legit. They are not paying taxes.
To address that, California is starting to give businesses a QR code to be displayed on the door, that customers can scan to verify that the business is a licensed dispenser. Getting licenses is expensive, and it brings regulation and taxes in the form of 280E with it, which pose further obstacles to legalizing it.
However, Jeremy does not want to be negative and points out that great strides have been made. The ultimate goal is to have a legalized cannabis industry at the federal level in Utah, but he does believe it will take longer than is generally expected.
Jeremy emphasizes how delighted he is to finally be here for the patients of Utah County. The clean and pleasant environment at Deseret Wellness has been created to make their patients feel comfortable. Deseret Wellness want to recognize that cannabis is medicine, without overtly reminding people that they are sick. When people walk in the door, they must feel warm and welcome.
Address: 22 North Draper Lane, just off the Center Street exit in Provo towards the mountain. In the next couple of weeks, they’ll have a 35-foot green cross pole sign right out front and they’ll be unmissable!
Their website is deseret-wellness.com, and they are also on Instagram and Facebook. They’re currently open Monday through Saturday, from 11am – 7pm.
Who is Pedro Padilla-Martinez? [00:08]
How WholesomeCo’s online ordering system works [00:53]
What is a pharmacy agent? [03:37]
Pedro’s senior thesis on arrests in Utah [07:10]
What Pedro is able to recommend to patients [14:57]
How Pedro uses medical cannabis [15:46]
Pedro’s favorite types of patients to help [17:46]
Pedro’s thoughts on high-THC products [24:01]
What Pedro considers to be the biggest hurdles for patients [25:57]
Pedro’s continuing cannabis education [31:12]
Where Pedro sees himself in five years [33:28]
Pedro’s favorite cannabis strain [33:59]
Pedro is a pharmacy agent at WholesomeCo dispensary. WholesomeCo is located at 580 W 100 N in Bountiful.
Pedro is a recent graduate of the University of Utah, with a degree in political science and sociology. When he first started college, he did not know what he wanted to do after graduation. While in college, he became interested in the history of cannabis and cannabis policy. In fact, he completed an internship for Proposition 2 in Utah, collecting signatures for the petition. Pedro also interned for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
To use WholecomeCo’s registration system, you will need to first register with them as a patient. You can begin the process by emailing them at hello@wholesome.co.
A pharmacy agent is similar to a “budtender” role in other states. As a pharmacy agent, Pedro directly interacts with patients, helping them choose products and walking them through the transaction process.
When a patient initially chooses a dispensary, they will meet with a pharmacist first to discuss dosing, delivery, and their Qualified Medical Provider’s (QMP) recommendations. After this visit with the pharmacist, patients will begin working with Pedro.
While in college, Pedro wrote his senior thesis on what arrests look like in Utah. Pedro felt that racial disparities with cannabis and medical cannabis had not been properly addressed in Utah. The question he set out to answer with his senior thesis was if there are indeed racial disparities with cannabis arrests in Utah.
Pedro sourced information from the US Census Bureau, FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, and Utah’s Department of Public Safety.
Pedro found that African American communities and native American communities are especially disproportionately affected by marijuana arrest rates.
While researching Hispanic or Latino arrest rates, Pedro found that the data was harder to gather. The FBI classifies the Hispanic or Latino community as an ethnicity, not a race. Thus, Hispanic or Latino communities are typically classified with whites. This becomes problematic in states like Utah with a large Hispanic or Latino population.
As a pharmacy agent, Pedro cannot provide specific recommendations to patients. Instead, he relies on the pharmacist for recommendations. For example, if a patient has a specific recommendation from their pharmacist, Pedro will stick to that recommendation.
However, Pedro will provide his own personal experience with products by explaining to patients how a product has helped him with certain symptoms.
Pedro uses medical cannabis for chronic pain, specifically for pain in his knees from years of skateboarding.
Pedro really likes helping new patients of WholesomeCo. He initially thought he would have a hard time with new patients, but enjoys helping new patients understand what information is accurate or inaccurate. He also enjoys explaining products to patients, breaking down how it may help their symptoms. For example, he may suggest a new patient use a product with Delta-8-THC instead of the typical Delta-9-THC, as Delta-8-THC can provide a more mellow experience.
Pedro has worked with patients who have the belief that the higher the THC amount, the better the product. Pedro will show patients that even though a product may have a lower THC amount, it may have additional cannabinoids that could provide better relief of their symptoms.
Pedro believes the two biggest hurdles are the bureaucratic process of becoming a patient and issues they have with MJ Freeway software system. They have experienced issues with the system going down, or not having accurate patient information, making it difficult to order products for patients.
Recently, Pedro has been learning more about processed products. Many of his new patients do not want to inhale or vape flower when first using Medical Cannabis, and processed products such as gummies and cubes can be an easier way for them to consume cannabis.
An issue with processed products is they typically lose their cannabinoid and terpene profile. However, recent full-spectrum products have been developed that keep these profiles intact, such as products from Boojum.
Pedro still sees himself in the industry, becoming more of an expert on cannabis.
Pedro likes Sundae Driver from Dragonfly Wellness.
Chris’s experience on Facebook [1:08]
How Chris believes he got the virus [2:51]
How cannabis helped Chris while he was sick [09:56]
COVID symptoms for Chris’s kids [14:23]
What doctors told Chris about leaving quarantine [15:01]
Chris and Tim’s thoughts on the need for cannabis delivery in Utah [22:04]
Tim’s thoughts on medical cannabis letters [26:32]
After being diagnosed with COVID-19, Chris decided to share his journey on Facebook and Instagram. He quickly began to receive messages from other Facebook users, claiming that he was lying or that his symptoms were just a “bad cold.”
Chris has three stepchildren who were in Texas during the summer. He believes that the virus was brought into the home when his stepchildren came back home after their summer in Texas.
His symptoms began as fever and chills. He was scheduled for a doctor’s visit, but because he was not feeling well he decided to reschedule his appointment. When he called to reschedule, the doctor’s office suggested that get a COVID test. Chris received the diagnosis 24 hours later.
After his diagnosis, the COVID-19 virus began to hit him hard, especially in his lungs. He was experiencing shortness of breath. His wife was able to get him oxygen tanks to help him breathe. His whole body ached and he was experiencing sweats at night, so much so that he would have to change his shirt often because it would be drenched in sweat.
Chris had a nurse call him every morning to check on him. He was told that if his lips start turning blue, to call an ambulance.
Chris says that what he was most worried about was that he did not know which direction the virus would take. His young children also became sick. Although Chris and his wife assumed that they contracted the virus, they did not want them to go through the painful testing process to get an official diagnosis.
For Chris, he found cannabis helped with reducing the anxiety he was having about the virus. Also, using cannabis tinctures helped him to sleep better and to open up his airways.
Chris experienced extreme exhaustion while he was sick. It was difficult for him to just walk up the stairs from his basement. Cannabis also helped ease his aches and exhaustion.
One of Chris’s kids had congestion. His other kid had a sore throat and a fever.
Chris was told by doctors that 8-10 days after initially showing symptoms he would no longer be contagious. He was also told that he would be immune to the virus after 90 days.
Chris’ COVID experience has highlighted the need for cannabis delivery in Utah. For cannabis patients who are required to quarantine, without a delivery option there is no way for them to get access to their medicine.
WholesomeCo dispensary will be offering home delivery. Curaleaf will also be offering home delivery.
The obstacle to home delivery is payment options. Most dispensaries run on cash. However, WholesomeCo has implemented a system called Hypur, which provides electronic payment options.
Tim is seeing an increasing amount of letters being issued to patients. Unfortunately, these letters expire at the end of the year and will have to be converted to cards. This potentially will leave thousands of patients without access to cannabis. Learn more about how to convert your letter to a card here.
The problem, as Tim sees it, is a lack of education with Qualified Medical Providers (QMP). Specifically, the EVS system is a complicated system and QMPs are unfamiliar with how to use it properly to get their patient’s cards.
The team at UtahMarijuana.org will be creating educational events for QMPs to help them use the EVS system and get their patients set up with cards. Follow UtahMarijuana.org on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to learn more about these events.
How Vanessa deals with frustrated patients [03:02]
More about Vanessa’s role as a Wellness Associate [05:11]
The product selection at Dragonfly Wellness [07:04]
Dragonfly’s new payment system [10:07]
Dragonfly’s drive-thru sales [13:28]
How Vanessa helps letter holders get their Medical Cannabis card [15:11]
Patients dealing with law enforcement [20:53]
Spending habits at Dragonfly Wellness [21:41]
Vanessa’s thoughts on adult-use [23:29]
More on Vanessa’s background [28:15]
Vanessa’s future in the cannabis industry [30:21]
Vanessa is a Wellness Associate at Dragonfly Wellness. She has been in this role since February 2020 and was there for the grand opening of Dragonfly Wellness.
Vanessa has a background in customer service, so she has experience dealing with frustrated customers. She also understands that even though patients may be frustrated, they will be “leaving with a bag of sunshine.”
Vanessa considers her work at Dragonfly Wellness more than a job. She has firsthand experience with Medical Cannabis improving her own issues with joint inflammation and sensitivities and has found it to be more helpful compared to other pharmaceuticals. She loves that she is now able to help others on their own journey.
In Utah, Wellness Associates are not to provide recommendations. However, as a patient herself, she can share from firsthand experience how the medicine works for her. For example, she can say that an indica strain helps keep her alert, relaxed, creative, and in a good mood. Or, she can refer a patient to another co-worker who may have an experience different from hers. However, legally she cannot recommend a product to treat a patient’s condition.
Although there are struggles with maintaining inventory, Vanessa has seen more consistency in the past month. The team at Dragonfly Wellness is for the ability to be a vertically integrated company, where they can grow their own product. This has allowed them to supply other pharmacies in the area with much-needed products.
The system is called Hypur and it provides an ACH transfer for pharmacies across the country.
When you enter the pharmacy, you will log in on your phone with a secure access code. Once the system has authenticated your phone and verified your location, your customer info is sent to Dragonfly’s POS system. At checkout, you can easily pay with Hypur. Or, you can split a payment between Hypur and cash.
This information can also be used for online ordering, which will make the online checkout process easier.
Dragonfly Wellness has not seen significant sales from their drive-thru option. The majority of sales are still from walk-ins.
When Vanessa sees patients who have medical letters, she reminds them that their letter is only valid through the end of the year. She will encourage them to talk to their medical provider about getting their letter switched to a card (check out this article for more info).
Vanessa has heard stories from patients about getting stopped by law enforcement and having their medicine confiscated, despite having all the necessary documentation with them. Vanessa believes that the solution is more education to remove the stigma from Medical Cannabis.
Vanessa believes that spending habits vary by person. But, typically she sees patients spending at least a couple hundred dollars a month. For patients looking for more variety, their costs can be higher than someone who buys similar products each visit.
Whether it’s for a severe life-changing condition, depression, anxiety, or sleep, because of the many benefits cannabis has, Vanessa believes that it should be available to everyone.
Her personal experience with cannabis involved in treating psoriatic arthritis. Instead of getting injections with bad side effects, she used cannabis to control her condition.
Vanessa always wanted to be involved in the cannabis industry. She started her career in customer service, which provided the insurance and benefits she needed to treat her medical conditions.
After Medical Cannabis became legal in Utah, she began to talk more about the benefits of it to friends and family. This led her to create an Instagram account (@loch.ness.toker) to get more involved in the community.
After her third FMLA leave of absence last year, she decided to leave her customer service position and go all-in with the cannabis industry.
Vanessa will be starting a community program that provides education to help remove the stigma of cannabis use. She will also advocate for adult-use legalization in Utah.
