The bipartisan bill would reform regulations on medical cannabis pharmacies by increasing price transparency and creating a new license type for independent operators.
“We're trying to figure out what about the system is driving patients away from the medical program and into the black market or into, you know, purchasing out of state products,” said Jennifer Dailey-Provost, House minority Whip and sponsor of bill HB203.
A bill she said would reduce costly industry regulations. She also said the bill aims to correct some of the failures the medical cannabis system is currently facing.
“We can introduce a truly independent pharmacy whose only motivation in selling in stocking and providing products is patient demand as opposed to having a financial incentive for selling ones own products,” said Provost.
The bipartisan bill has been in the works for about 10 months. This bill comes after Proposition 2 passed on November 6, 2018, legalizing cannabis for medical use in Utah. Since then, 89,000 people have obtained a medical cannabis card.
“I think from a net impact perspective, like we as a small business owner, we were in support of it because while it does expand the program, it does it in a way that's intentional not subjective,” said Bijan Sakaki, CEO of Beehive Pharmacy.
Sakaki operates a rural medical cannabis pharmacy in Brigham City. He said one of the concerns brought up in public comment was if this expands access to children.
“I think a lot of these individuals it seemed like it was news to them because it was more of like an anti-THC anti-cannabis perspective. But none of the expansion of this would in any way accelerate, access for children or unregulated outlets,” said Sakaki.
