Utah is among the more than 3-dozen states that have given the green light to medical cannabis. Yet there are restrictions in the Beehive State. For instance, minors under the age of 21 are not allowed to use medical cannabis without special permission from the state’s Compassionate Use Board (CUB).
The Beehive State is not alone in its caution. Most of the states with medical cannabis laws take a very wary approach to treating children with cannabis and THC-infused medications. There are exceptionally good reasons behind their reticence.
How It Works in Utah
Before we get into the details of why states are so nervous about letting kids use medical cannabis, let us take a brief look at Utah’s system. State lawmakers seemed to have struck a good balance between adolescent safety and medical cannabis efficacy.
The Salt Lake City, Utah’s dispensary, Beehive Farmacy says that any adult with a qualifying condition under Utah law can apply for a medical cannabis card. A medical provider’s recommendation is required to get a card. The card is issued, and the patient can then use medical cannabis. As for minors, things are a bit different.
Minors are not normally allowed to use medical cannabis. But their adult caregivers – usually parents – can file an application with the CUB. The CUB has the authority to examine the application, review the evidence, and contact healthcare professionals in an attempt to understand whether or not medical cannabis is appropriate for the child. If the board agrees that it is, a card is issued to both patient and their caregiver.
The Big Concern With Children
So, why the extra steps before children can use medical cannabis? It boils down to the adolescent brain and how cannabinoids affect it. Note that the human body normally produces its own cannabinoids throughout a person’s lifetime. During the preteen and teen years, cannabinoid production is a lot like hormone production: it is all over the place.
There is concern that exposing preteen and teen brains to external cannabinoids – like THC, for example – could inhibit normal development and lead to long lasting mental and physical consequences. Once brain development is complete, which is usually somewhere around 25 years of age, the threat of THC doing long term damage to the brain is minimized.
There Are Immediate Concerns, Too
The concerns surrounding THC and brain development in young people are more long term. The idea is that cannabis consumption among young people could lead to long term, permanent brain damage. But there are more immediate concerns.
Regardless of whether cannabis leads to long term brain damage, getting high still impacts motor skills, reaction times, cognition, and social skills. Moreover, more potent weed can make young people physically ill and delusional. So even the short-term impacts of getting high could be dangerous to kids who already lack good judgment and decision making skills.
Using in the Medical Setting
Fortunately, regulatory bodies like Utah’s CUB draw a distinct difference between recreational marijuana and cannabis in a medical setting. It’s assumed that caregivers would tightly regulate how minors use medical cannabis, thereby minimizing both the long- and short-term risks.
There are legitimate reasons to be concerned about young people using cannabis. But when used under the supervision of a qualified medical provider and licensed pharmacist, medical cannabis can be administered to minors safely.
If your state restricts medical cannabis consumption among minors, you now know why. Regulators are not trying to be cruel or overly restrictive. They are looking out for the health and welfare ofc children whose minds and bodies might be at risk.
