12 Utah medical marijuana dispensaries not enough, advocates say

Medical marijuana advocates in Utah say 12 dispensaries won’t be sufficient to meet demand when the state’s MMJ program launches next year.

The comments came during a tense public hearing that Utah lawmakers held in advance of a special session next week to approve amendments to the state’s medical cannabis law that are poised to open up additional business opportunities.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, is calling the special legislative session to eliminate the plan for a state-run medical cannabis dispensary system. There are concerns that state distribution could put public employees at risk of federal prosecution.

The law calls for distributing MMJ products through seven private dispensaries and the rest through a state-run, “central fill pharmacy.”

The latest proposed measure would call for up to a dozen private dispensaries to distribute the products.

– Associated Press and Marijuana Business Daily