Christine Stenquist, the head of Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education (TRUCE), is calling for the Utah State Legislature to abolish patient caps and qualified medical providers entirely.
This would allow any health care provider to see if a patient meets the legally qualifying conditions — then sending them to a dispensary for cannabis.
FOX 13 reported last week that Utah’s Department of Health (UDOH) said it was not able to meet a deadline to expand the ability for more health care providers to recommend medical cannabis to qualifying patients.
The agency said it was because of software and staffing issues that it wasn’t able to have the program expanded by Sept. 1.
“We’ve seen this before. We’ve seen it happen again,” Stenquist said Monday in an interview with FOX 13.
Stenquist has criticized the state’s program as not being robust enough, not focused enough on patients and quality of product.
According to her, the current system of only having state-qualified physicians able to recommend cannabis for up to 275 patients (or more with UDOH approval) should be abolished.
“We have patients who are dealing with multiple renewals on cards and a patient cap which is a breeding ground for predatory practices in this space. We have to be very mindful about that,” Stenquist said.
“Just level the playing field a little bit and say ‘Docs, all we need you to do is verify that your patient has MS, or epilepsy, or Parkinson’s, or migraines or chronic pain,'” she said. “That’s all we need you to do. That’s what you went to school for and we trust you in that matter. The rest of it can be handled in the dispensary.”
“We remain dedicated to the Legislature’s continued efforts to collaborate with patients, UDOH, providers, and other key stakeholders on improving the state’s medical cannabis program. The primary goals of SB 170 were to improve access to medical cannabis and to protect patients—a safe, structured process with the inclusion of limited medical providers (LMPs) and qualified medical providers (QMPs) gets us closer to the quality care deserved by Utahns,” Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City; Senate Minority Whip Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City; and Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful, said in a joint statement to FOX 13.
“While we consider modifications, we believe Utah’s medical cannabis system maintains safety and an orderly patient-focused process. Implementation should happen with urgency and with an emphasis on education for both patients and providers.”
