Utah residents hoping to use medical cannabis must apply for a medical cannabis card after visiting with a healthcare provider. In that sense, they are no different than most patients living in states with medical cannabis programs. But in Utah, cards need to be renewed on an annual basis. Should there be a permanent card?
Consider a patient using cannabis to treat epilepsy. As far as I know, epilepsy is a permanent condition. It is not going away. So the question then becomes whether or not this patient should be given a permanent medical cannabis card that doesn’t have to be renewed. I can actually see both sides of the argument.
The Argument For
Personally, I do not use medical cannabis. Yet I do live with a medical disability for which there is no cure to date. It is a disability that requires the use of a wheelchair and, subsequently, a handicap parking placard for my car. I need to renew the placard every two years. It’s kind of a hassle, especially since I know I will have to continue renewing for the rest of my life.
I understand the requirement for annual renewals when a medical cannabis patient is using the drug to treat pain. Ditto for PTSD, nausea, and some of the other common qualifying conditions. But I can also understand an exemption for conditions like epilepsy.
If there is no cure, and medical cannabis offers relief today, is it reasonable to believe it will offer the same relief 5, 10, and 20 years from now? Should an epileptic have to go through the hassle of renewing every year?
The Argument Against
As for the case against permanent medical cannabis cards, it boils down to the reality that things change. Even people living with chronic conditions can experience changes in terms of symptoms and disease severity. As they get older, they may also experience changes and how their bodies react to prescription medications. This is one of several reasons that nearly all prescription medications have limits.
My wife takes a prophylactic antibiotic to prevent a certain type of infection she is prone to. She has been taking this drug for decades. Every year, however, she needs to go back to the doctor to get her prescription renewed. Why? Because it is always possible that her condition will change. It’s possible that her body will react differently as time goes on.
A best-case scenario would involve a future drug that does the trick better than the one she is currently on. Regardless, the potential changes cannot be accounted for if my wife doesn’t go back to visit with the doctor at least once per year.
Card Terms Vary by State
One last thing to mention is that card terms vary by state. Salt Lake City’s Beehive Farmacy says that most Utah cards are good for a year. Some cards may be good for only 3 or 6 months, especially if a doctor making the initial recommendation feels it necessary to reevaluate a patient more frequently.
There are other states with 12-month renewals as well as those that require renewal after 6 months. There is no uniform card term. The one thing that is uniform is the lack of a permanent medical cannabis card. As far as I know, no state issues one.
For now, I guess I am willing to say that forcing renewals is for the better. But I reserve the right to change my mind down the road. Someday I might be presented with a compelling case for permanent medical cannabis cards under certain conditions.