In 2021, Utah lawmakers approved medical marijuana home delivery. They did this to make medical cannabis more accessible in rural areas. Home delivery is now available in most of the state’s major cities, more than a year after it was first introduced. The logistics of serving rural Utah are still being worked out by the companies. In any case, medical cannabis delivery to the patient’s house is a good idea.
So much of what we buy on the internet is delivered right to our doorstep. We occasionally place an order and pick it up from a nearby retailer, but in the online world, home delivery reigns supreme. Is cannabis an exception? No, say supporters. Despite the fact that some states have legalized cannabis, home delivery is still prohibited.
Utah, oddly enough, prohibits the delivery of alcoholic beverages to private residences. However, because medical cannabis is classified as a medicinal and alcohol is classified as a recreational product, the differences in rules are easy to defend.
Dispensaries are in short supply
The lack of dispensaries is one of the many reasons that medical cannabis home delivery makes sense. Only twenty dispensaries serve the entire state of Utah. With the exception of one, they’re all in big cities. Customers in Brigham City and Salt Lake City, for example, are served by Beehive Farmacy.
Patients with medical cannabis cards in rural areas of the state may have to travel an hour or more to reach a dispensary. That isn’t always achievable, especially since some states have qualifying conditions in place. It doesn’t make sense to make people drive that far in Utah. It is possible to have home delivery.
It helps to keep patients off the streets
Home delivery of medical marijuana is also advantageous since it keeps patients off the roadways. That isn’t to imply they shouldn’t get behind the wheel. Rather, it is to emphasize that when home delivery is available, consumers will have one less thing to worry about. Do you really want to spend two hours behind the wheel every few weeks only to receive your medicine if you have chronic pain?
Cross-Border Sales are reduced
Because the closest dispensary is an hour distant, people in rural Utah are unlikely to cease using medical cannabis. Many of them live near the boundaries of states where cannabis regulations are more liberal. Where do you think the average patient would go if given the choice between driving to Salt Lake City and driving just across the border to Colorado?
Medical cannabis products used in Utah must be obtained within the state, according to state legislation. By decreasing the need to cross the border, home delivery helps to ensure this. There’s no point to hop in the car and drive to a nearby state if your prescriptions may be delivered right to your door.
It Benefits the Business of a Dispensary
Owners of dispensaries, like those in any other company, aim to grow market share. This is an opportunity to do so by providing home delivery. This is beneficial to the business of a dispensary. Every chance to gain market share is a chance to expand and improve your competitiveness.
To be fair, medical cannabis home delivery is not without its drawbacks. There are some flaws and hazards in the model. However, delivery can be a lucrative business for those organizations prepared to undertake it.
We might as well do everything we can to improve access if we’re going to approve medical marijuana in this country. That is why home delivery is so important. In a world where so much is now purchased online, this paradigm makes sense.
