The medical cannabis space is considered distinct and different from the cannabis culture so closely associated with recreational consumption. It is appropriate, given the nature of medical cannabis and its purpose. But that has not stopped modern cannabis culture from influencing things on the medical side.
To say that modern cannabis culture has influenced the medical cannabis space is to state the obvious. Most of its impact on medical cannabis has been good. But there are a few areas to be concerned about.
Cannabis Stigmatization and Acceptance
There has been a stigma attached to cannabis since the late 1930s, when the government first began regulating it through taxation. That stigma was reinforced when cannabis was added to the list of Schedule I controlled substances in 1970. Even as the states began legalizing medical cannabis in the mid-1990s, the stigma remained.
Cannabis culture has made great strides toward improving public acceptance of cannabis consumption. The vast majority of Americans now believe that cannabis should be legal in some form. For some, that means medical consumption only. For others, it means both medical and recreational consumption.
Beehive Farmacy is a local company that operates two medical cannabis pharmacies in Salt Lake City and Brigham City, Utah. They explain that when the Beehive State’s medical cannabis program was first launched, many patients were reluctant to access it because of the stigma associated with cannabis consumption.
Today, Utah’s program boasts more than 100,000 active cardholders. The stigma might still exist to some degree, but the medical cannabis community in Utah has seen explosive growth over the last five years.
Innovation and Product Diversity
Modern cannabis culture has influenced the medical cannabis space in another way as well: through innovation and product diversity. The culture is always looking for new ways to consume cannabis. Users want growers and processors to keep working on new cultivars with different cannabinoid and terpene profiles.
In the medical space, this means a greater product availability at local pharmacies. Patients have access to a variety of products and multiple delivery methods. For the patient who doesn’t know how to start medicating with cannabis, there are plenty of options available under the supervision of the cannabis pharmacist.
Patient Education
The cannabis culture has even led to greater patient education. Where healthcare providers may struggle to educate patients in the day-to-day matters of cannabis consumption, the community has done a great job. But the community also advocates for research and community education programs that go far beyond what healthcare providers can offer.
Even the experiences of other community members can help patients trying to navigate the medical cannabis journey. There is a lot to be said about community support and its value in offering a sense of belonging, accountability, and shared experience.
On the Downside
Despite all that the cannabis culture has done to positively affect the medical cannabis space, there are some downsides. Chief among them is the misunderstanding that cannabis is largely harmless.
In the push to promote cannabis for its medical benefits, too many advocates give the impression that it can be used with virtually no limits. Whether purposely or not, they give the impression that patients do not have to worry about any long-term consequences or side effects. Evidence suggesting the exact opposite is now emerging.
Medical cannabis legalization has been mostly a good thing. Millions of patients around the country now benefit from it. The cannabis community deserves some of the credit for where we are today. But as with anything else, medical cannabis still requires an appropriate level of caution.
