Medical cannabis patients in Utah have access to a wide variety of cannabis products, as long as you can afford them. One of the most common complaints I hear is, “Weed is so expensive!” It’s absolutely true. The medical cannabis products in Utah tend to cost more than products sold in some other states and even more money than buying them on the black market. But there are ways to save money on legal cannabis purchases. Read on!
Why Are Medical Cannabis Prices in Utah So High?
When Utah’s medical cannabis program first started, the state allowed only eight companies to handle all of the cultivation. These growers were instructed to prepare enough product for about 6,000 patients, up to 16,000 at most.
The state based those figures on an estimate of the number of patients Utah would have, but their estimate was way off. Almost 35,000 people are now registered with the program here in Utah, and we are only 18 months in.
On top of that, many of the growers are not yet operating at full capacity today. WholesomeCo has not started selling any of the products it grows, Dragonfly has had issues with production at scale and, rumor has it, Tryke (the big fish in Utah) lost some of their grow over the summer. While Zion has had some really great flower from their Sugar House Select brand, even that is small scale compared to other larger programs in other states.
This, as you can imagine, is a supply and demand problem. There are far more medical cannabis patients in Utah than originally expected and only eight cultivators to serve them. The state does have the option to issue more grow licenses as the current growers reach their maximum capacities and the demand for cannabis products increases. Let’s all hope the growers can reach full capacity soon and press the state for more licenses. As we all know, more supply will lower prices. We don’t need as much product as they do in Oregon, but we could use a little more than we have now.
Additionally, some of the discounts on the wholesale side are not ending up in the patient’s pocket. I know for a fact that producers have offered discounts as a wholesale-incentive to retail outlets who are not reducing the price of the product for the patient. With some growers not having retail outlets and some who do, it has created a power struggle in the state that can only be solved by more pharmacies. If each grower had their own retail license then they could offer their products at whatever price, instead of relying on the few retail operators to decide.
What Can I Do to Save Money?
Although medical cannabis is expensive right now, I do expect to see prices drop as the market grows and stabilizes over time. In the meantime, there are several ways to save money on your cannabis treatment plan. Let’s go over some of them, starting with my favorite.
Take a Tolerance Break (T-Break)
Many of my patients find themselves using more and more cannabis to achieve the desired effects. There’s a lot to this. I suggest reading Dr. Corey Anden’s recent article for specific dosing discussion or following my Discover Marijuana channel on YouTube to learn more. In any case, I recommend taking breaks to help reset tolerance to THC. It’s pretty straightforward to do even if it’s not comfortable for heavy users.
At least once every three months, take two days off and then slowly ease back into low cannabis dosing, finding a new, lower dose, that works just as well as the higher dose you were taking a week ago. I have a sweet guide at Utah Therapeutic which goes through the process in detail.
Tolerance breaks aren’t for every single cannabis user. If you are someone who uses cannabis to control seizures or manage chronic pain, for example, you might not want to take a complete tolerance break, but rather exchange CBD for THC during that time period. Some of my patients find it helpful to continue using CBD while taking a break from THC. Talk to your QMP about the ways you might incorporate a tolerance break into your treatment plan. I’ve seen tons of patients who are able to stay on the same THC dosing regimen for five years, using quarterly tolerance breaks.
If you decide to try taking a tolerance break, here’s what I recommend:
Days 1 & 2: Kick off your tolerance reset with a clean slate by living cannabis-free for at least 48 hours.
When you’re ready to begin using THC again, it’s helpful to use a journal to keep track of how you feel before, during, and after your dose. You can use a simple numbering scale of 1 to 3, where one equals bad and three equals good, to document how you’re feeling.
Pay attention to your breathing, your body, and your overall mood. Is your breathing relaxed? Are you aware of any pain or discomfort? Are you content? Take notes about all of these things. Keeping a journal is an important part of the process to find the doses, strains, and methods of ingestion that work best for you.
Day 3: Reintroduce THC to your body with a very small dose. I suggest using no more than two to five milligrams of THC per session, up to three sessions, on the third day. You’ll likely get more out of this dose than you might expect. Keep track of any change you feel.
Days 4 & 5: Your body is rebuilding cannabinoid receptors. Keep your doses small, between three and 10 milligrams THC per session on these days. If you needed two or more doses the previous day, increase your doses by 50%.
Day 6: Use your dosing notes from days 3-5 to set a new “just right” dose for your daily needs.
By taking advantage of T-breaks, you can cut back on your cannabis purchasing by as much as 60%. If you feel your cannabis use has gone up, it might be time for another T-break! Try to do one at least once every 90 days.
Keep an Eye on Social Media
The medical cannabis pharmacies in Utah cannot advertise and, therefore, you won’t hear any radio ads or see any billboards with coupons or deals. Make sure you’re following your favorite dispensaries on Instagram, Facebook, and or Twitter because you can often find discounts there. I see discounts of 10 or 20% all the time. The email list at the Utah Therapeutic website is probably the best way to stay informed of deals. We are religious about keeping up to date info on deals.
Check with your Medical Cannabis Pharmacy
Some pharmacies offer email newsletters, and some are just on social media. But, every time you go into a pharmacy, just ask if they have any discount programs or specials now or in the future.
Buy Popcorn Buds:
If you’re a flower user and especially if you’re new to using flower, look for opportunities to buy the smaller “popcorn” buds. There’s nothing different about them other than their size and, from a medical standpoint, they’re identical to the larger buds from the same plant. It’s all going into the same grinder anyway, and you can usually save about $25 per 3.5 grams. That’s going to add up if you purchase twice per month, like the average patient in Utah.
Branch Out
If you don’t already have a favorite dispensary, you will. Usually, it’s the one closest to us, but there are several others in the state to choose from. We keep a map on UtahMarijuana.org/dispensary with information on all of the locations and soon to have menu integrations. For some of you, visiting your nearest dispensary is already a road trip, but there may be another one that can deliver in your area. In any case, the more dispensaries you can visit, the more chances of finding special offers. Many pharmacies offer 20% off, for example, for new patients. That’s 14 20% off coupons to use!
Apply for a subsidy from the Utah Patients Coalition
For those who are truly struggling financially, consider applying for aid from the Utah Patients Coalition. There is a Utah patient subsidy program to help people pay for their medical cannabis. You can also donate to the cause or nominate someone else to receive help. Stay tuned on this subject. There are multiple other subsidy programs in the works throughout the state.
Hang in there. Utah’s medical cannabis program is still young, and I expect the situation to improve as the state adapts to the growing number of patients. I hope the information you’ve read here will help you Feel Better in the meantime.
This article was submitted by Tim Pickett PA-C. He is a licensed medical provider in Utah and a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians. He enjoys educating patients and writing about Medical Marijuana in order to de-stigmatize the plant and encourage safe and effective use in Utah.
