It’s fascinating to listen to people willing to tell their medical cannabis stories. We especially like to hear how people first came to be part of the medical cannabis community. There are as many different stories as there are patients. It is the uniqueness of each story that reaffirms Utah is doing the right thing by making cannabis available as a medicine.
Here at Beehive Farmacy, we have the opportunity to work with wonderful cannabis patients in Salt Lake City and Brigham City. Our work offers the added benefit of being able to hear patient stories. As a patient yourself, do you ever share your story with others? If not, you might consider doing so. Your experience could be immensely helpful to someone else.
Experience Before Medical Cannabis
It is our understanding that most patients come to the medical cannabis community in one of three ways. The first is by way of experience gleaned prior to Utah establishing its program. They may have used cannabis in college or high school. They may have lived in or visited another state where cannabis was available, like California or Colorado.
Perhaps this core group of patients made up the lion’s share of early medical cannabis card applications in Utah. If so, it would make perfect sense. Many of these patients already knew that they were deriving medicinal benefits from cannabis. Once Utah established its program, it was only logical that they should apply for their cards.
These types of patients are usually the most informed during pharmacy visits. They often know what they need before they arrive. They also know the right questions to ask when new strains or products are introduced.
Referred by a Friend
The next group of community members are those who come to medical cannabis by way of a referral from a friend or family member. We cannot tell you how many patients we’ve spoken to with this experience. They are dealing with some sort of chronic illness for which other medications don’t seem to help. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a friend or family member asks if they have ever tried medical cannabis.
As you know, patients cannot come to Beehive Farmacy on a whim. They have to go through the process of obtaining a medical cannabis card from the state. And to do that, they have to see a qualified medical provider. Yet the idea for getting the ball rolling is the friend or family member’s referral. There are a number of medical cannabis clinics in Utah that specialize in cannabis card recommendations.
Recommended by a Doctor
The third group of people are those who come to medical cannabis as a direct result of their doctor’s recommendation. This appears to be the smallest group. Why? It could be because Utah’s medical cannabis program is still relatively new. It could also be that medical cannabis is new and some doctors are still unsure where it fits into traditional medicine. Maybe it’s a combination of both.
At any rate, there are those patients who never considered medical cannabis until their doctors brought it up. And because they trust their doctors, they are willing to give it a try. They come to Beehive Farmacy armed with their doctor’s recommendations, then speak to our pharmacists to fine-tune their treatments.
The great thing about medical cannabis is that it isn’t defined by a single story or process. There are many conditions for which medical cannabis is appropriate. There are multiple experiences among patients who use the same products. And if you are like most patients, you have your own story to tell. We encourage you to share your story with others to help balance out the stigma some may feel still in Utah. How you came to the medical cannabis community isn’t as important as the fact that you are here.
