Study: Cost a ‘Main Motive’ for Medical Cannabis Patients Seeking Unlicensed Products 

Research published in the *Journal of Cannabis Research* in July suggests
that the cost of medical cannabis through state-approved dispensaries is a
“main motive” for patients seeking products outside of the legal dispensary
system, with 79.2% of study participants reporting cost as a barrier.

In all, the researchers found that 10% of medical cannabis program
participants obtain cannabis products illegally due to medical cannabis
program barriers, including cost, the fact that medical cannabis products
are not covered by insurance, and the lack of dispensaries.

In a statement, Jerry Cochran, PhD, senior author on the study as well as a
professor of epidemiology and director of the Program for Addiction
Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy at the University of Utah,
said many patients are making a “trade-off” from tested, regulated,
state-approved medical cannabis products for unregulated products that
could be risky.

“It’s like, ‘OK, I have a chronic illness which makes it hard for me to
work, and so I have limited resources. I can more easily afford the stuff
from my friend on the street, but that stuff on the street might make me
sicker in the long run.’ It creates this catch-22 where it becomes a health
disparity.” — Cochran in a statement

Patients who obtained cannabis products outside of the program said they
had a lower level of trust in the state program (67.4%, compared to 45.5%
who said they had trust in the program). The researchers found that those
with a higher level of trust in the state-run program were less likely to
obtain cannabis outside of the system.

“If you can get rid of all the bias and just give people good, accurate
information about medical cannabis, people will use the medical cannabis
program,” Cochran said in a statement.

The researchers note that while the “study offers valuable insights, more
comprehensive research based on these preliminary findings is needed to
develop effective strategies to mitigate [illicit medical cannabis] use and
promote safe [medical cannabis] program participation.”