State regulators made a major move when they began taking steps to consolidate medical cannabis regulation under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since the consolidation, we have seen a number of positive changes. For example, the HHS website now offers pharmacy and delivery information for patients.
New patients and those looking for a different pharmacy should find the information helpful. It’s all on the Medical Cannabis Pharmacies page of the state’s main cannabis website. You can find a ton of information, including:
- pharmacy names and addresses
- pharmacy contact information
- home delivery services.
You can even find detailed information about pharmacy licensing, pharmacy medical providers (PMPs), cannabis agents, and couriers. You can search for pharmacies and delivery services by county as well.
Another Step Toward Increased Access
The updated HHS website may not seem like a big deal to some people. That’s okay. To each their own. But we cannot say enough positive things about the information gradually being added to it. More information represents another step toward increased access.
Utah’s medical cannabis program has been in place for almost two years now. Surprisingly, there are still a lot of people in the state who really don’t know much about it. The more information we can get out there, the more patients will understand about their access to medical cannabis. To us, that is a big deal.
What Cannabis Pharmacies Do
If you are one of those new medical cannabis patients, you might not be completely familiar with what licensed pharmacies do. First of all, Beehive Farmacy operates locations in both Salt Lake City and Brigham City. Our two locations are among only 15 approved throughout the entire state.
It is our job to make cannabis medicines available to patients at the retail level. We purchase from processors who transform cannabis plant material into usable products including vapes, tinctures, and indigestible medicines.
We have a licensed PMP in house whenever our doors are open. As a trained and licensed pharmacist, the PMP is here to help you along your medical cannabis journey. You can get answers to your questions, ask for some advice, and even find out why certain medicines make you feel the way they do.
What Cannabis Pharmacies Can’t Do
In Utah, a licensed medical cannabis pharmacy is a very specific type of business with activities that are tightly restricted. So while there is a lot that we can do to help patients, there is plenty we can’t do. Here are just a few examples:
- Sell to Anyone – Cannabis pharmacies in Utah are not allowed to sell product to just anyone. We are only allowed to sell to holders of valid medical cannabis cards.
- Manufacturer Product – Pharmacies are licensed to sell medical cannabis products at retail. We are not licensed to manufacture them. If we wanted to manufacture, we would also need to obtain a processor’s license.
- Provide Testing – Similarly, testing medical cannabis products for purity and safety requires an entirely separate license. Pharmacy licenses do not allow for product testing.
- Prescribe Cannabis – A medical cannabis pharmacy in Utah cannot prescribe cannabis. All medical recommendations must come from qualified medical providers (QMPs) or limited medical providers (LMPs) as defined by state law.
If you are new to the medical cannabis program, you might want to check out the HHS website for more information on local pharmacies and delivery services. There are also other online resources you can check out.
When you’re ready, feel free to visit the Beehive Farmacy in either Salt Lake City or Brigham City. We are here to help you on your medical cannabis journey.
