With All-Star weekend being hosted in Salt Lake City this year, we thought it would be a good time to shine a spotlight on how medical cannabis is often used to treat and manage sports related injuries.

Between athletes like Britney Griner and Sha’Carri Richardson, cannabis for sports recovery and sports injuries has had a fair bit of discussion in recent years. The NBA has now gone three seasons without testing its players for cannabis consumption. The MLB has actively allowed for the endorsement of CBD products. Although the World Anti-Doping Association still considers cannabis to be “against the spirit of sports”, it’s clear that attitudes in the United States at least are changing.

“Most of us start being active in sports at an early age,” says Lead Pharmacist at Dragonfly, Kevin Baumgartner, “some continue through childhood to play the games we learned to love and excel in. Some of us never learn to stop pushing and with that push comes a toll on our bodies.”

The number one qualifying condition for medical cannabis in the state of Utah is chronic pain according to data obtained from the Department of Health and Human Services. Knee and ankle injuries are the most common sports-related injuries according to quotewizard.com which analyzed over a decade of insurance claims regarding such injuries. So it only stands to reason that many Utah patients are medicating for chronic pain related to past athletics.

“Many people fall into the horrible cycle of chronic pain medications to treat injuries that happened years ago, or yesterday”, says Kevin. “As we understand more and more the benefits of using cannabis to treat pain and injuries the conversation turns to using safer, better, and more sustainable medication than traditional treatments.”

When we consume cannabis, THC and CBD interact with our endocannabinoid system or ECS, which is what soothes pain and reduces inflammation that can commonly be caused by sports injuries. This same process can help our bodies recover after periods of strong exertion, reducing the likelihood of obtaining such injuries in the first place. It’s no wonder then, that athletes like Calvin Johnson, who started his own cannabis brand Primitiv, would look to cannabis as a solution to the problem of sports related injuries.

All-Star Medicine How Cannabis Interacts With The Sporting World

All-Star Medicine: How Cannabis Interacts With The Sporting World

The first question you might ask…why are there seeds in my flower?



Dragonfly Wellness has been eagerly waiting to reveal a collection of new flower varieties from Dragonfly and Betty. For the past year we have been busy sprouting seeds and expanding our grow, with the intention of bringing some of the most desirable strains of cannabis here to Utah. Dragonfly sources its seed stock from reputable breeders and seed banks, but cannabis grown from seed versus cannabis grown from clone or tissue culture is a complicated process and has its challenges, unwanted seeds are one. The exhaustive process of combing through these different genetic combinations (phenotypes) is called pheno hunting and it is the way that breeders and cultivators bring the very best flower to patients.



What is a phenotype and what is involved in the pheno hunt process?



A plant’s phenotype is the physical expression of its traits. Cannabis plants, just like humans, have the potential of creating many different offspring with widely differing physical attributes. You could have two plants of the same cultivar (strain), but one is very green and the other, distinctly purple. Another could be tall and lanky and the other short and stocky, even though they were bred from the same parent plants. Much as the same mother and father can have several children that look very different, with differing hair, eye colors, heights, and builds.

To get from seed to flower, we first decide on a cultivar, find a reputable breeder of that strain, and purchase the seeds. Once sprouted these young plants must be sexed, roughly half will be male (pollen producers) and half will be female (bud producers). We grow for flower and not for breeding, therefore we are only interested in keeping female plants. When found, the male plants are destroyed because they pose the risk of pollinating the female plants and creating seeds. This process nets several female plants, each considered a phenotype or unique offspring of the original parent plants. Just as in humans, plant genes can be dominant or recessive, or damaged and entirely unwanted (unstable). These unstable genes are adversely affected by stress and can lead to undesirable growth patterns. Stress comes in many forms and is exacerbated by environmental factors such as light level, extreme high or low temperature, soil or nutrient toxicity, etc.

Typically a genetic instability combined with common stressors will result in hermaphroditism. Meaning that a female plant will produce some male flowers and thus pollen. These male flowers can and often do pollinate themselves or plants around them. It is rare for an entire room to hermaphrodite and pollinate itself, but when dealing with unstable phenotypes it is common for individual plants or sections of a room to self-pollinate. If pollination occurs, seeds developing in female flowers is possible and because they are intertwined and sometimes deep in the bud, seeds can make it into packaged flower.

Dragonfly proudly grows, harvests, processes, and packages all of the flower that ends up in Dragonfly jars and Betty bags. We have stringent quality control measures along this entire path of seed-to-sale. Just as we take so much time and care to select and grow our cultivars, we take the same care when flowering and harvesting. Our team spends hours every day combing through flowering rooms, looking for hermaphrodite plants, removing male flowers and pollen sacks by hand, sometimes in the hundreds, to ensure that we mitigate as much pollination and seed production as possible. We cannot, however, catch every last male flower. While pheno hunting and sorting through unstable genetics, the risk of unwanted pollination becomes extremely high and it is therefore impossible to promise that a seed or several seeds will not make it into finished flower and onto the shelf at the pharmacy.




To find the best of the best. We are hunting for potency, flavor, aroma, effect, appearance, and consistency; all of the traits that are important to you, not just today but into the future as well. We don’t just want to grow some Blue Dream, we want to grow the Blue Dream. We want to ensure that what we have on our shelves is true to the iconic strain and something unique and special that you can get nowhere else in Utah.



Honest conversation… Could this have been avoided?



To some degree, yes. No plant is guaranteed seedless, but other measures could have been taken, but at the expense of time and money. Ideal pheno hunting situations call for a significant amount of space and ideally generous amounts of time. Pollen from flowers can travel far and fast, even in climate-controlled, closed environments. The best way to avoid plants from pollinating each other would have been to keep them in entirely separate facilities with additional staff. Of course, additional space and human resources increase costs and it would have been difficult to avoid adding those costs to patients, forcing higher prices. We also pheno hunted many strains all at once to reach our goals more quickly. It could have been easier to protect against pollination by growing one cultivar at a time, but again the patients pay the price in time spent waiting for the desirable strains that are not yet available in Utah. Our objective in every effort is to keep plant medicine as accessible and as affordable as possible, for as many patients as possible.

Seedless flower is our goal, but pheno hunting and curating new and unique cultivars for our patients is also a top priority. Unfortunately we may have to endure a little pain, and a few seeds, to get there. Please understand that we exist to serve you, our patients, and that while (hopefully) small amounts of seeds might get past our strict quality control procedures we are doing our best through this imperfect process to get to a day when all Dragonfly and Betty flower is as seed free as possible. Rest assured we have and will continue to maintain our core values as a patient first company and community member. We will accommodate any issues our patients experience with our products. Always feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. Our team is here for you!

If you’re wondering why there are a few seeds in your flower recently or just generally want to know more about phenotypes and finding great flower, you are in the right place.

Hunting Better Flower | Dragonfly Wellness Blog

The Hunt for Better Flower

There’s been an influx of more affordable cannabis concentrates hitting the Utah medical cannabis market, many of which are currently (as of this writing) available at Dragonfly Wellness. They’re potent, convenient, and a little bit goes a long way. If you are shopping for products in terms of THC content, you can’t get more efficient than concentrates.

But for many people, cannabis concentrates are still a fairly new and perhaps somewhat mysterious subject to be covered. We’re here today to demystify products like shatter, badder, and hash with a simple crash course so that you can walk into any Utah cannabis dispensary with confidence about concentrates.

So what are concentrates? Well, like the name implies, it’s a form of cannabis that has been reduced and concentrated to its most desirable components, the cannabinoid and terpene content, by removing all other plant matter. This can be done with or without solvents like butane and ethanol. In fact, the oldest form of cannabis extract, “hash”, was (and still can be) traditionally made by rubbing cannabis flower between your hands. But rest assured, no bare hands have touched your hash at Wellness.

One of the most popular forms of concentrates is shatter, so named because it has a brittle and glassy consistency that is easy to break or “shatter” into smaller pieces which can then be combined with flower or consumed on its own with an electronic vaporizer. Often made with butane hash oil (BHO), or a mixture of butane and propane, Dragonfly shatter is specifically made with an ethanol extraction method that produces a safe, clean, and tasty product.

Another popular form of concentrate is badder, which has a soft and malleable texture and is more dull compared to shatter. Similarly to shatter, badder can be combined with flower or consumed on its own but can be easier to manipulate than shatter, especially for newer users who may be unfamiliar with using concentrates.

Once you have your desired concentrate you can utilize it in your favorite dry herb vape by layering or “sandwiching” it between the flower to not gunk up your device with melted concentrate. You can also use specific concentrate vaporizers, electronic “dab rigs”, that almost instantly vaporize concentrate to be inhaled on its own. At Dragonfly Wellness we sell devices like the Boundless Terp Pen, G Pen Roam, and Puffco Peak, all of which can be used to consume or “dab” these wonderful concentrates.

Keep in mind that these are only some of the forms of concentrate available, and we will certainly be going into more detail in the future, but the principle is the same regardless of what you may come across. As the names show, many of these concentrates are simply named with a single word that describes its consistency. Wax, budder, badder, shatter, crumble, diamonds, sugar, sauce. It’s not hard to imagine how they might look. But just like flower, each individual concentrate is going to vary in terms of potency and flavor, so talk to your pharmacist and pharmacy agent about which concentrate may best suit your needs.

Do you need to learn more about cannabis concentrates in the Utah medical market? Check out this blog post to learn more about the processes that make your favorite cannabis concentrates.

 Confidence in Cannabis Concentrates | Dragonfly Wellness Blog

Confidence in Concentrates

When it comes to dispensaries in Utah, it’s not hard to find what options are available. But what about when it comes to Qualified Medical Providers? We put together a short review of just some of the awesome Utah QMPs helping patients get their medical card, with more to come in the future. We also provide a resource so that you can find your own provider who may also be able to take your insurance. Let’s get started!

. Located in Cottonwood Heights, their office has a beautiful view of the valley from the sixth floor of the building they are located in. Green Team Doctors are a multi-state operating QMP office hiring local physicians for local patients. You can trust that they have more knowledge and support for their team than your average QMP because of that. And to help you get in the door easier at Green Team, we’ve asked them to reduce their renewal rate specifically for our patients.

$199 Initial Consult | $119 Renewal | $99 Renewal with code DFWGTD

 in Salt Lake City. Dr. Chan at Lotus Health focuses on a holistic, Eastern-style of medicine and does much more than just recommend medical cards, including ADHD treatment, palliative care, acupuncture, and more. Plus, their Direct Primary Care (DPC) members have the cost of their Utah medical cannabis cards included in their monthly fees. What is DPC? From the Lotus Health and Wellness website:

“Direct Primary Care aims to solve the common issues of rushed office visits, fragmented care, difficult access to physicians, and long wait times. Instead of relying on payments from insurance companies the doctor receives payment directly from the patients, through a monthly subscription fee. The simplicity of this relationship allows for easy access, personalized care and a true collaboration between patient and physician.”

, who offer some of the best deals for uninsured patients in the state and are even able to do initial evaluations online. We’ll let their founder Amber’s words speak for themselves:

“Our team here at Mountain West Medical Clinic is committed to providing patients with the best possible care. We treat each patient that walks through our doors like family. From the initial consultation to guiding patients through the medical cannabis card process, we'll be there every step of the way. You can trust you're in good hands here!

I learned from an early age that helping others is simply what I was meant to do. I have seen medical cannabis work its magic with my own eyes. About 3 years ago, my daughter started having grand mal seizures. We’ve since learned that each episode starts with her seeing an aura, and the convulsions follow shortly after. By working with her team to provide her medical cannabis as soon as she starts seeing the aura, we’ve been able to halt the convulsions in their tracks. We’ve witnessed the impact that medical cannabis can make, and we want to share it with others.”


Email: mountainwestmedicalclinic@gmail.com

As always, we also encourage our patients to look for their provider using the state of Utah’s healthcost provider location tool at 

We’ll be back in a few months with another quick list of standout medical providers!

Finding the right qualified medical provider in Utah can be a hassle, so let us take some of the hassle out for you! Keep reading this blog post to find out more…

QMP Roundup | Dragonfly Wellness Blog

Quarterly QMP Roundup

It’s two hours before Thanksgiving dinner. Your weird uncle is on his way. What do you do? You could start preparing your arguments ahead of time in the shower. That’s where you always have your best thoughts. But having an argument with your family at dinner every year is a war of attrition you don’t want to take part in. Why not relax, medicinally? Just don’t forget that the dispensaries are going to be closed on Thanksgiving. Us industry folk have family to spend time with too after all. It would be wise to make sure you’re stocked up for the day. And now you know why we made Green Wednesday.

Although it’s only been around for a few years, this particular cannabis holiday has a much clearer origin than the more well-known 4/20. Green Wednesday was made because the vast majority of dispensaries nationwide, particularly us dispensaries in Utah, are closed on Thanksgiving. Therefore, medical patients will have to make sure they have the products they need beforehand if they want to have a safety meeting with their cool cousin. And with the sudden influx in patients, we figure we should offer great savings as well.

Plus, there’s a chance your weird uncle is a patient himself. If not, maybe he should be! Try discussing that at the dinner table this year instead. Patients from other states can quickly obtain Utah medical cannabis cards for the duration of their visit. And with our location so near the airport, we would love to be your family’s first Utah dispensary. Just remember, Utah patients may not share cannabis products but they may occupy the same private property while medicating independently. Be safe this Thanksgiving!

Love,
Your Dragonfly Fam

Did you know that there is another cannabis holiday between Thanksgiving and Christmas? It’s true! Keep reading this blog post to find out more…

Green Wednesday - Dragonfly Wellness Blog

Green Wednesday: A Tradition of Necessity

That’s right. Despite what you may have heard about us, there are medical marijuana dispensaries in Utah (though we call them pharmacies) right now. We may be famous for our mountains, our snow, and our national parks, but one day, we at Dragonfly Wellness hope to be famous for our cannabis too. And if you’re already a medical marijuana patient in your state it’s very much possible, and not all that difficult, to obtain a Utah medical card for the duration of your stay. So help yourself recover from your outdoor adventures or set your symptoms aside while watching a Jazz game. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the steps to get your Non-Utah Resident Medical Card (but you can skip to the end for the quick version).

The first step is to register with the state’s Electronic Verification System, or Utah EVS (evs.utah.gov). This will also require you to make a Utah-ID account so that you can set up a user ID and password to access the EVS and your medical card.

*Here we should note that the portion of this guide pertaining to the Utah EVS is in fact the most difficult part of becoming a Utah medical cannabis patient, local resident or otherwise. If you can stick it out through this you’ll be well on your way. However, if at any point you are having trouble, please feel free to call us for help or see the detailed guide at the end of this post.*

Once you have logged in to your EVS account you should be taken to the registration page. There you’ll select “Non-Utah Resident” under registration type which will pull up a list of basic information to be filled out. After clicking “Register” you will be taken to your Utah EVS account homepage. From here you will hover over the “Tracking Inbox” tab, drop slightly down to hover over the “Patient” tab, then click “New Patient”.

You’ll first be prompted to select whether you are applying for yourself or for a minor (patients under 21 must first present their case to the Compassionate Use Board but can still be given a Non-Utah Resident Medical Card). Then you’ll have to complete all of the fields in the Patient Information and Proof of Identity section by providing information from your state-issued ID or Driver License, and upload a copy of your state medical card. After you have completed all the information, click the “Save” button. Be aware that if any of the fields have been missed or improperly filled when you save, you may have to start the entire process again, so make sure to double-check.

With your patient information saved you should see your registration status move to “Awaiting Payment”. Ensure that your pop-up blocker is disabled or that the Utah EVS page is whitelisted as the payment process will require this. Click the “Payment” tab and then the blue “Click Here To Pay” button which opens a new window for you to input your payment information. When your payment is completed, the window will close and you will be brought back to the Payment page.

By clicking “Patient” in the link path directly above the Payment tab, you will be brought back to your patient information where you should see your registration status has now moved to “Awaiting State Review”. An approver with the Medical Cannabis program reviews these applications on a weekly (if not more frequent) basis. 

: you can complete these steps ahead of time and email your travel dates to medicalcannabis@utah.gov to ensure you are approved in time for your trip!

If your card is approved, you will be emailed a copy to print or download to your phone. A physical version of your card WILL NOT be mailed to you. You must print it yourself or ask our pharmacist to do so on your first visit. And although you are allowed to present your card digitally as a download or directly from the Utah EVS, 

 printing a physical copy.

With a Utah Medical Card in-hand you’re almost ready to start buying locally grown and crafted medical cannabis products. The last thing you need to do is visit our pharmacy. We are conveniently located in downtown Salt Lake City near the freeway and just a few miles from Salt Lake International Airport. Once you are registered as a patient with us you’ll just need to have a brief consultation with one of our pharmacists. You may schedule your consultation ahead of time but walk-ins are accepted as well. And although your discussion with the pharmacist can be as brief as you would like, we do recommend utilizing their knowledge while you have them. Even if you’re a veteran patient, they may have something new to teach you.

As a registered patient you’ll be able to start making purchases immediately after speaking with the pharmacist. Make sure you sign up for our patient portal so you can place orders online for pick up or delivery. If you choose to take advantage of our wide-ranging delivery service, make sure the address you need your products delivered to matches what is currently in the Utah EVS. Your address can still be updated at any point after you have been approved for your card.

Whether you’re coming here to sample the snow, or simply to see the sights, don’t miss out on the opportunity to visit the first dispensary in Utah. Dragonfly Wellness has a mission to empower our patients to take control of their health. And that mission doesn’t have borders.





1. Create a Utah EVS account at evs.utah.gov*

2. Upload your out of state medical card. You must be diagnosed with a qualifying condition as determined by Utah law. Visit our FAQ page for a list of qualifying conditions.

3. Make a payment and await review. The current cost of submitting an out of state card application is $15. The review process can take up to a week to complete so submit your payment early.

4. Have a consultation with our pharmacist. You can schedule an appointment ahead of time but walk-ins are also welcome. You will be able to make purchases immediately after your consultation.



 Email your dates of travel to the Department of Health ahead of time at medicalcannabis@utah.gov so they can make sure your card is approved in time for your stay!

*If you have any issues creating your Utah EVS account, try using the following guide from the Department of Health: 

Utah Medical Cannabis Cards for Non-Utah Residents.

If you’re an out of state medical card patient on your way to Utah, you’re going to want to read this first! Get a quick understanding of medical card reciprocity in Utah.

Guide for Out-of-State Patients | Dragonfly Wellness Blog

Yes, Utah Has Cannabis: A Guide for Out of State Medical Card Patients

What should I know about the LMP program and why should I care? For those unfamiliar, LMP stands for Limited Medical Provider. As of January 2022, the Utah cannabis program allows for certain prescribers to recommend cannabis for up to 15 patients without becoming fully certified to issue cannabis cards. The prescribers included are physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and podiatrists who can prescribe controlled substances.

From a patient standpoint you may need to start the conversation and somewhat educate your physician (we hope this blog piece may start that conversation), as many of them may not know about this program or even the cannabis program in general. From a prescriber standpoint it gives you the opportunity to learn about the benefits of a medication we, as medical professionals, are not typically taught about. By recommending cannabis to a small number of patients you are in theory creating your own in-house study. You will be able to monitor your patients’ conditions and see what improvements there might be in said conditions. One other nice part is that you can turn the counseling of your patients over to the pharmacists. Some physicians have not felt comfortable about this as traditionally you diagnose and then prescribe the right treatment. However, I see this as more of a collaboration and trust between health care professionals. We can work together to answer questions and it frees up your time and comfort knowing a medical professional who is knowledgeable will talk with and help your patients.

Why might cannabis work for these conditions? There is more information on this than can be explained in a single blog. The short answer lies within the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), which helps regulate many other systems in our bodies. There are 2 separate receptors that cannabinoids will act on, the CB1 and CB2 receptors. We have certain endocannabinoids, such as anandamide, produced in our body that act on these receptors. Just like any other system, sometimes these don’t get activated enough, or too much, which can throw off all sorts of things in our bodies. So we try to regulate these endocannabinoids with phytocannabinoids.

There have been more than 100 phytocannabinoids discovered within the cannabis plant, THC being the most well known, but we are also learning much promising information about non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as CBD and CBG that show they can aid with pain, inflammation, and sleep. Many medical cannabis products contain varying ratios of these cannabinoids so that patients can find the right balance they need. So rest assured it's not just about getting the highest amount of THC or getting everyone “high.” The patients will sit down with our pharmacists and talk about these cannabinoids and other aspects to help the patient find the right medicine for them.

Ideally you will find that many of your patients will discover an additional amount of relief for their conditions. After putting this to the test you may be interested in becoming a Qualified Medical Provider (QMP). Becoming a QMP will then open the door for many more patients to benefit from this medicine. Dragonfly Wellness’ mission is to empower our patients to take back control, but our patients are your patients first. Help us empower them.

You are not required to see a QMP to get a medical cannabis recommendation and in fact, any prescribing physician you may already be seeing could potentially help you. Read this post from our pharmacist to learn more.

 An Open Letter to Medical Providers | Dragonfly Wellness Blog

Empower Your Patients: An Open Letter From a Pharmacist

(This post also appears as an article in the Summer 2022 issue of Salt Baked City magazine)

Did you know that Utah is the only state that allows firefighters to use medical cannabis during their off-hours?

The January 2022 Utah legislative session passed SB 46. This closed a loophole in prior cannabis laws and allowed for all Utah employees, including firefighters, to consume cannabis on their off hours with a valid medical card. So while Utah may not have the freedom to grow its own medicine like some states do, the State is continually pushing to improve access to medical cannabis for those who severely need it, and Dragonfly Wellness is at the forefront of that push.

We believe people across the country should have access to this life-changing medicine no matter their position and be trusted to act responsibly. To ensure that those who keep us safe in our community are safe themselves, we will be offering a First Responder discount at our pharmacy. But the question remains, why is Utah accepting medical cannabis for first responders, and how does it support them?

To better understand how the passing of SB 46 affects our patients, we talked to Connor Carpenter. He is a specialist for the Sandy City Fire Department, a hemp grower, and a medical cannabis advocate.

Carpenter became a firefighter after meeting the woman who would become his wife. It was made to be: her father, grandfather, and uncle had all been firefighters themselves and inspired him to devote himself to a new line of work. After marrying, Carpenter and his wife began growing their own CBD-rich hemp to create sleep-aiding medicine. Although he was finding moderate relief with CBD alone, he began adding a ratio of THC to the mixture and found the right balance his body needed to rest effectively - firefighting is no walk in the park and that extends to their off-duty hours.

“Firefighters don’t have great sleep habits,” Carpenter explained. Although THC and CBD products are a much safer alternative for helping induce healthy sleep, Carpenter says many other firefighters have routinely turned to alcohol or opioids to self-medicate on their off-hours.

Eighty-five percent of career firefighters reported drinking within the past month, up to ten days a month, which is about half of their off-duty days, according to surveys by the Center for Fire and Rescue and EMS Health Research. And although there isn’t much comprehensive on opioid use among firefighters, their high rate of injury and constant exposure to stress and trauma-inducing events puts them at a higher-than-average risk of developing a substance use disorder, according to indicators from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in a research bulletin from 2018. With over 2000 firefighters working for Utah, according to the website Firefighter Now, those addiction statistics could affect the lives of not only the firefighters, their families, and their friends, but also the lives of those in the communities they serve.

Carpenter saw this problem affecting his colleagues and knew he had to act. He started to provide CBD-rich topicals and tinctures through his family-run business TriCombzzz & Cripple Juniper Farms. As a cannabis patient himself, he also encourages them to apply for medical cards to reduce their dependence on alcohol and opioids. He explains:

“I can see a huge difference in their personality when they show up in the morning or even talking to them outside of work and talking to their families. To see some of the turnaround for these people is huge.”

The top two qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Utah have consistently been chronic pain and PTSD, according to monthly reports released by The Utah Department of Health. Both conditions afflict firefighters, and emergency services workers in general, at a much higher rate than the average person, according to data from the CDC and SAMHSA.

It makes sense for firefighters to use cannabis in their off-hours - as it does for all EMS employees. These people put their lives at risk every day to ensure that our communities are safe and stable - so Dragonfly created a discount program specifically to help them get the medicine they need. If they can provide for us during our emergencies, shouldn’t we do the same for them?

Did you know that Utah is one of the only states that allows for the consumption of medical marijuana by off duty, state-employed emergency workers? It’s true, keep reading to find out more.

Utah Medical Cards for Emergency Workers | Dragonfly Wellness Blog

THC 911: Cannabis For Utah Emergency Workers

Pride is about being out and proud as your genuine self and calling attention to the issues that still suppress the LGBTQIA+ community. Dragonfly Wellness has a mission to support our patients and our community and we simply could not do that without supporting Pride and everything it stands for. Afterall, it's likely that medical cannabis would not exist as it does without the efforts of LGBTQIA+ activists.

The use of cannabis as a form of medicine is well documented and can be traced back thousands of years across many different civilizations. But after the United States enacted cannabis prohibition, the conversation around its use as medicine largely fell out of the public consciousness until we were struck by the AIDS crisis.

In 1981, Queer culture was thriving in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The 

 happened just twelve years earlier and true public acceptance seemed to be within grasp. Then a terrible epidemic swept the nation. One that went unacknowledged on the federal level for many years due to deeply racist and homophobic opinions of high level officials.

AIDS was killing BIPOC gay men on a daily basis as the Queer community was left to fend for itself. People had to watch friends and family succumb to a terrible illness with little recourse. But one of the few things that was able to help these terminally-ill patients in their time of need was cannabis.

Cannabis had been around in the gay and trans community for ages so they were no stranger to its potential relief when it came to the hellish symptoms of AIDS. Doctors at the time were prescribing experimental treatments that often came with their own awful side-effects, so cannabis was seen as a friendlier alternative. It was also the only option for many in the BIPOC community who were often systematically excluded from official drug trials.

Dennis Peron and his partner Jonathan West lived in San Francisco's Castro District throughout much of the '80s. When West died of AIDS in 1991, Peron became an incredibly prominent and outspoken advocate of medical cannabis. He had been selling it in the Castro District for years, and after seeing the immense positive effect it had on his partner and friends he would not rest until it was legally accessible.

Peron started by advocating for San Francisco's Proposition P which demanded that the city legalize medical cannabis. It passed by 80%, but Peron was just getting started. He then opened the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club, the first public cannabis dispensary in the United States.

He also succeeded in making medical cannabis legal state-wide. In 1996 California passed the Compassionate Use Act, becoming the first state to make medical cannabis a reality. Because of that precedent, we have seen a cascading effect of states choosing to legalize medical cannabis. All due, in no small part, to the consistent and passionate activism of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The prohibition of cannabis has significantly contributed to the marginalization of the LGBTQIA+ community and is inherently racist. Nearly half of all HIV cases in the country today affect the Black community despite making up only 13% of the population, and people of color are 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for possession of cannabis despite it being equally as prevalent in white communities. But as Dennis Peron and other activist heroes like him have shown, when a community comes together to help and protect each other, amazing things can be accomplished.

So before you take that edible to help you sleep tonight, or take a few puffs off your vape pen to keep you going during Pride, make sure you think about the brave people who fought hard and sacrificed everything to get us where we are today. Remember that they are still taking to the streets and shouting for justice. We honor them this day, and each day we are able to continue supporting our patients.

Medical cannabis and the LGBT community are two paths inexorably tied together. Read this blog post to find out more about how there wouldn’t be medical cannabis without the advocacy of a few!

Utah Cannabis and Pride | Dragonfly Wellness Blog

Pride + Cannabis: A Match Made In History

Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) was first created by the Canadian medical cannabis advocate the oil is named for. Simpson created a unique method of concentrating cannabis extract involving powerful solvents, heat, and a pressure cooker. It appears as a thick, dark, and viscous oil, usually contained in a glass syringe or ingestible capsules for ease of use. It is highly concentrated in THC and other cannabinoids and terpenes. Simpson used it as a method to treat himself and fellow cancer patients with great success. Since then he has freely offered the method of extraction to anyone interested in making their own.

In addition to cancer, RSO is said to treat:

Rick Simpson originally used the oil topically, applying it to bandages he wrapped around cancerous growths on his arm, but the oil can also be taken orally in the form of an edible or capsule. It is highly recommended not to vaporize, smoke, or otherwise inhale RSO as it still contains much of the fats and lipids from the original cannabis plant. The best use of RSO is to establish a daily regimen, using Simpson’s own method.

The goal of the Rick Simpson method is to gradually increase the amount of oil consumed each day, over 90 days.

Begin with three very small doses each day. These doses should be the size of half a grain of rice (1/4 a drop of RSO), taken about every eight hours. One in the morning, one around noon, and one at night.

Double the dose every four days. Most people will take three to five weeks to reach the maximum dosages of one gram of RSO per day.

Keep taking one gram a day of RSO until the full 60 grams are consumed. For most people, that’s about 8 or 9 rice-sized doses of RSO every eight hours.

Even after you finish a 12-week RSO regimen, you may continue to take the extract. You’ll want to reduce your overall dosage, though. Dial your dose back to a gram or two per month, split up into equal daily doses. For many users, this “maintenance dose” will be enough to carry on RSO’s possible benefits.

Are you considering using Rick Simpson Oil, aka RSO? You might want to check out this guide first to learn more about the ideal regimen so you can dose appropriately!

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