Welcome to the Medical Cannabis Equity Campaign - A Strategy to Ensure Patient Needs Are Met in Recreational Adult-Use Markets

As recreational adult-use cannabis programs have emerged across the country, it was believed they would improve patient access. Sadly, this hasn't been the case. In fact, we can see that after over a decade of dual market experiments, patients are being overlooked as states shift their focus to the recreational adult-use market, neglecting the needs of medical cannabis programs.

We can turn this trend around, but it will take the power of collective action. Together, we can create a more equitable future for medical cannabis patients by educating the public, media, businesses, and policymakers about the importance of medical cannabis equity.

Americans for Safe Access has created a series of tools for advocates to utilize to address these issues in their communities, including sample legislative language, reports, fact sheets, and more. By joining the Medical Cannabis Equity Campaign, you empower yourself and other stakeholders by standing up, speaking out, and making a lasting impact on the legislation and regulations that shape our communities.

THE FACTS ABOUT ADULT USE CANNABIS PROGRAMS & PATIENTS:

• Municipalities more often prevent the development of recreational dispensaries than medical dispensaries, which creates even greater access deserts than patients already face.
• Recreational regulations often fail to provide protections for patients, such as employment or child protection, leaving many patients to choose between a job and a medicine that offers the best relief.
• Recreational regulations often fail to address cost-saving benefits for patients, such as the absence of sales or excise taxes. For patients who must pay out of pocket for their medicine, these policies help to reduce patient costs and are a highly vital aspect of medical cannabis regulations.
• Moving patients into recreational/adult-use markets makes them susceptible to discrimination and punishment. Patients use medical cannabis to treat a medical condition and should be treated as such under the law.
• Medical cannabis patients rely on condition-specific products they know already work for them and are safe for use with other medications they may be on. These products may not be found in recreational/adult-use markets.
• Medical cannabis patients may need higher amounts of cannabis than recreational programs allow consumers to possess.