420 with CNW – Does Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Mark the Death of Medical Cannabis Programs?

February 25, 2019 04:20:36

You may be wondering what becomes of the medical marijuana programs and products once a jurisdiction legalizes recreational pot. Some people even conclude that medical marijuana dies quietly once recreational cannabis becomes legal. Is this true?

It may be true that the process of getting a medical marijuana card is a bit cumbersome (find a doctor willing to recommend medical marijuana for your health challenge, then apply and pay license fees, etc.). The legalization of recreational cannabis means that access to marijuana now just requires you to present a valid government-issue photo ID at a dispensary or retail outlet in order to buy cannabis. Viewed from this angle, some patients may opt to buy recreational marijuana and use it to manage their symptoms.

However, one key reason why the legalization of recreational cannabis cannot mark the death of medical marijuana is that patients often require customized or specially formulated cannabis products to manage their symptoms or treat the qualifying conditions for which they were enrolled on the medical cannabis program. For this reason, the commencement of recreational sales cannot signal doom to medical cannabis.

Secondly, the legalization of recreational weed also boosts medical cannabis because it widens the market for marijuana products. That wider market generates a lot of interest among researchers and business entities. Consequently, more research will be conducted, and this research can result in a better understanding of how cannabis can be used to treat different conditions. This is clearly happening in Canada where recreational sales have sparked greater interest among cannabis researchers and innovators.

Thirdly, players in the cannabis industry may be unwilling to turn their backs upon their medical cannabis clients because these patients are more reliable clients when compared to recreational users. You see, a patient needs medical cannabis while cannabis is just a want to a recreational user. This means that addressing the needs of patients results in more assured business when compared to chasing the wind as you try to keep up with the fickle interests of recreational users. From a business perspective, medical cannabis ensures steady sales so it will stay despite the legalization of recreational sales.

More importantly, recreational cannabis normalizes medical cannabis. Patients are often viewed as disguised stoners in jurisdictions where only medical cannabis is legal. However, the end of cannabis prohibition often results in more information becoming available to people in that area. Consequently, they will develop a greater appreciation of the medical benefits of cannabis and patients will no longer have to be on the defensive as they use medical cannabis.

As you can see, the end of cannabis prohibition doesn’t necessarily mean that medical cannabis programs will suffer a slow death. MustGrow Biologics Corp. and Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) insist that different people have different needs, so it may not be right to think that the commencement of recreational sales means the death of medical cannabis.

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