Shop around for medical cannabis in Utah and you will discover that there are no dispensaries in the Beehive State. There are only pharmacies. But venture next door to Arizona, and you will find just the opposite. Cannabis dispensaries abound. Yet is there any real difference between a medical cannabis pharmacy and a dispensary? Yes and no.
Answering ‘yes and no’ isn’t a cop out. Furthermore, distinguishing between the two is not uniform. There is no practical difference between a medical cannabis pharmacy and marijuana dispensary in some states. But in other states, like Utah, there is an enormous difference. It all depends on the regulatory environment.
A Pharmacy Sells Medical Cannabis
You could make the case that the term ‘medical cannabis pharmacy’ is more specific than ‘dispensary’. Here is why: the medical cannabis pharmacy theoretically sells only medical-grade cannabis products. In states where both medical cannabis and recreational marijuana are allowed, there could be serious differences in product quality. As such, a legitimate patient would want to source his cannabis from a state licensed pharmacy.
In Utah, recreational marijuana is not allowed. Medical cannabis is allowed for patients diagnosed with certain qualifying conditions. But patients must purchase medical cannabis from one of 15 licensed pharmacies, like Zion Medicinal in Cedar City.
Zion Medicinal officials explain that the state insists on the term ‘medical cannabis pharmacy’ instead of ‘marijuana dispensary’ due to the negative ideas some people have of marijuana. Lawmakers want to avoid any and all confusion. They want to make it clear that only medical cannabis is approved in the state.
A Dispensary Sells Marijuana
The other side of the medical cannabis pharmacy coin is the marijuana dispensary. In short, a marijuana dispensary sells marijuana in its many forms. Customers can purchase plant material, THC vapes, edible products, tinctures, and even topical lotions. What’s more: the products people purchase may or may not be used medicinally.
Interestingly enough, some states do not draw a distinction between dispensaries and pharmacies. That is not necessarily a bad thing. The truth is that medical cannabis is just marijuana by a more polite name.
Cannabis is a plant with numerous varieties. The two most common varieties are marijuana and hemp. How are they distinguished from one another? By THC content. A cannabis plant with more than 0.3% THC, by volume, is legally classified as marijuana. Any plants below that threshold are legally considered hemp.
Testing a medical cannabis product for THC would reveal that it is either marijuana or marijuana derived. So why don’t we use the term ‘medical marijuana’ instead? Once again, we need to go back to those negative connotations.
Higher Quality Marijuana
A few states with both medical and recreational programs insist that medical cannabis be of a higher quality. It might even be more potent. In such cases, it is not unusual for regulations to require that retailers settle on one or the other. They either sell medical cannabis exclusively or they get into the recreational marijuana market.
There is a clear distinction between the medical cannabis pharmacy and the recreational marijuana dispensary in those states. But let’s be honest, do consumers make the same distinction? Do they care about medical-grade quality as much as state lawmakers and regulators?
Using the strictest definitions of the terms, there is a significant difference between a medical cannabis pharmacy and a marijuana dispensary. But the differences might not amount to much in states where both medical and recreational consumption have been decriminalized. A medical cannabis patient just as easily purchase marijuana at a dispensary. Would it really matter?
