LIFE ELEVATED.

AuthorForeman, Kelsie

Medical marijuana has finally come to Utah. Here's the deal

Making hard medical decisions is scary. Choosing between different providers, treatments, and insurance plans can leave already sick patients feeling even worse off. Add things like harsh side effects associated with prescription medications, or life-changing diagnoses and it's enough to make any patient desperate to feel normal.

Chad Thornley can relate. Two years ago, his four-year-old daughter Penelope was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer. Upon the diagnosis, Mr. Thornley and his wife went to countless doctor's appointments, all filled with overwhelming talks of radiation and chemotherapy--the "standard procedures" for treating childhood cancers.

Radiation therapy is a grueling process, so the pair looked for ways they could alleviate her discomfort. That's when they discovered medical cannabis--a way to curb some of the side effects associated with her therapy. There was just one problem: Mr. Thornley and his family were living in Utah at the time, and medical cannabis was completely illegal.

Like other "marijuana refugees" faced with no other options and eager to help themselves or family members, Mr. Thornley made the gutwrenching decision to relocate his wife and daughter to Seattle, Washington for ten weeks while Penelope underwent daily sessions of Proton radiation therapy, assisted by medical cannabis. They liked the hospital in Seattle but they also went for the cannabis.

During treatment, Mr. Thornley and his wife began introducing Penelope to daily doses of THC and CBD oils extracted from the cannabis plant. Mr. Thornley tells me that the oils (high in CBD, low in THC) helped treat migraines, nausea, and the general lack of appetite caused by radiation therapy. Medical cannabis was exactly what Penelope needed to feel as "normal" as possible during her treatment.

If only Mr. Thornley didn't have to displace his family during a time of crisis so his daughter could get what she needed.

HOW TO GET CANNABIS IN UTAH

In December 2018, both CBD and THC cannabis products were legalized to some degree in Utah. While anyone can purchase and consume CBD (a non-psychoactive, federally legal, active cannabinoid found in cannabis plants) extracts and oils for a variety of health conditions, those interested in using products with THC (a psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis plants) for medical reasons must have a qualifying condition and a letter of...

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