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Utah’s Strict Limit on Cultivation Farms Sparks Discussion

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]U[/dropcap]tah legalized medical cannabis in late 2018 and is now in the process of implementing rules pertaining to the state’s medical cannabis law, including regulating the production and distribution of the plant. However the state’s current medical cannabis program only allows 10 licensed farms to cultivate cannabis. There is also a limit as to how much these farms can grow, which is no more than four acres of allotted land for growing cannabis outdoors and 100,000 square feet indoors.

Numerous cannabis experts are skeptical about the efficiency of these caps. One cannabis business consultant named Justin Arriola recently expressed his concern and told The Salt Lake Tribune that these regulations are likely to result in a shortage of supply and adversely affect the availability of a satisfactory range of medical cannabis products once pharmacies open in the state next year. Additionally, another individual named Adam Orens, who is a cannabis market expert, also thinks this isn’t the way to go about the program. “Part of the meaning of the word ‘conservative’ means they proceed cautiously to do things,” he said. “But who knows? Utah is going to become easily . . . the most conservative state to have a medical marijuana program.”

The supporters of the law, for instance Melissa Ure, a policy analyst at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, feel otherwise. “That is plenty of product the first year,” Ure told The Salt Lake Tribune. In fact, it’s going to be an oversupply if all 10 [cultivators] are growing that much product.” The only way there can be a shortage in supply according to Melissa is if the farmers fail to harvest in scheduled time, consequently resulting in inadequate supply for pharmacies.

Furthermore, the new law would allow seven private pharmacies in total and one central state-owned fill pharmacy. The central fill pharmacy will be in charge of delivering medical cannabis orders to local health departments for patients to pick up. This would have been a viable plan if the state was handling one patient. “But now do that 40,000 times. How do you do that?” Arriola asked.

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