Survey Explores Why Utah Medical Cannabis Patients Turn to Unlicensed Sources

A recently published study (1) aimed to understand the reasons why medical cannabis (MC) patients enrolled in Utah’s medical cannabis program have used illicit medical cannabis (IMC) – cannabis purchased outside of a licensed pharmacy – for their conditions. By analyzing survey data, the goal was to contribute more information to enhance the safety of the patients, improve the program design, and support future research studies on this topic. As noted in the study’s introduction, illicit cannabis use can come with a risk of unwanted side effects or legal repercussions. The study, “Understanding motives for illicit medicinal cannabis use: an exploratory analysis in a medical cannabis program,” was published in the Journal of Cannabis Research in July 2025. The Utah Department of Health allocated funds for this study. The researchers also noted that Utah does not allow cannabis for recreational use.

The researchers analyzed data from 211 participants who had been enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program less than six months and who had been diagnosed with chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and/or cancer. The survey asked respondents about mental and physical health, experience in the program, and their access to medical cannabis. To identify influences on MC use, the researchers utilized descriptive analysis, chi-squared analysis, and logistic regression.

Highlighted results include:

• 11.9% of respondents indicated IMC use within the past two weeks
• Those who accessed IMC were 40.5 years old, 58.3% male, 70.8% employed, and 87.5% white
• Cost was the most common barrier to MC, with 79% of participants indicating it as a barrier
• Additionally, 45.8% of respondents indicated consistent supply was a significant reason for IMC use

Additionally, those who reported barriers to MC were more likely to report IMC use, and also reported a lower level of trust in the program, reliance on the program, and less dependence on MC pharmacists. In contrast, participants who used the MC program for information were less likely to use IMC.

“Our findings suggest that barriers related to MC supply and cost may contribute to IMC use, while reliance on state program information appears to protect against this behavior,” the researchers stated. “Additional factors, such as enrollment barriers and public perception may be influential in participants’ decision-making processes.”

The researchers called for further studies to assess how access to more affordable MC and increased information could change IMC use, as well as other related topics including the perceived effectiveness of IMC.

Limitations to the study included the small size of the study, which limits the generalizability of the results, the researchers explained. Furthermore, the cohort was only representative of the population of one state.

Reference

1. Reeves, C.; Franks, L.; Kelley, AT.; Incza, M.; Gordon, AJ.; Yu, Z.; Flake, E.; Cochran, G. Understanding motives for illicit medicinal cannabis use: an exploratory analysis in a medical cannabis program. J Cannabis Res 7(48), 2025. DOI: 10.1186/s42238-025-00284-w.