ST. GEORGE — Lotus Health helped residents celebrate the 420 holiday with a low-key but well-attended outreach event at Bloc Pharmacy.
Medical cannabis has been legal in Utah for the past four years. As previously reported in St. George News, Bloc Pharmacy opened in June of 2021 and sells legal medical cannabis products in accordance with state laws and guidelines.
Lotus Health is based in Salt Lake City. It is a direct-to-patient care facility and clinic that promotes healthy lifestyles and natural medicines.
“We do medical cannabis outreach events. Our medical cannabis outreach program has expanded to include most of the state of Utah,” Lotus Health Event and Outreach Manager Richard Beck told St. George News.
“Bloc Pharmacy was one of the first places we got to work with in the south. And so they’ve been helping us set up medical cannabis events since then,” Beck said. “We’re excited to be here today for 420.”
A food truck and a band were set up playing in the parking lot at Bloc Pharmacy and the event held Saturday saw a fair number of patrons throughout the day.
Part of the outreach included helping customers sign up for a medical card, which is required in the state of Utah to purchase medical cannabis products.
Potential cardholders must prove that they have a qualifying medical condition that can be treated with cannabis.
“The most common is persistent pain, so that would include things like headaches, stomachaches, menstrual cramps, arthritis, things of that nature,” Beck said. “After that, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is also a very common one that people treat.”
Other symptoms or conditions patients use medical cannabis to treat include nausea, multiple sclerosis and seizures, Beck added.
“Any rare or terminal diseases are also included,” he said. “Cannabis can do a number of things and have a lot of positive impact on a large variety of disorders.”
The 420 holiday is a pop culture phenomenon that means different things in different states. In the 25 states that allow recreational cannabis use — Utah does not — parties on 420 tend to be affairs where, in some cities, thousands of people openly smoke marijuana.
Saturday’s event at Bloc couldn’t have been more different. A strong security presence ensured no one was partaking publicly and officials made sure all proper documentation and regulation procedures were followed for those who wanted to obtain a medical card.
“Our biggest priority is to make it accessible and make it legal,” Beck said.
He estimated that in the four years since medical cannabis was legalized in Utah, some 80,000 people have registered for medical cannabis cards.
Beck said that the best advertising for medical cannabis is spread by word of mouth from customers who try it and report their experiences to others.
“They go tell their circle and suddenly other people are curious,” he said. “They come in, they experience it, they have the medical benefits of it. And then their friends and family understand how helpful it can be.”
Beck said over the weekend in St. George about 80 people registered for cards.
“That means we have 80 people who have shrugged off the stigma that has been associated with weed for so long,” he added.
Lotus Health plans further outreach programs in St. George. The next is scheduled May 25.
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