My job has me doing a tremendous amount of research into medical cannabis. I find it mostly tedious but informative. At times though, my research is downright entertaining. I find myself especially pleased whenever I run across an organization that has employed creative language to get a point across.
A good example is a bit of text I found on the Utahmarijuana.org website. The site is run by a company that operates Qualified Medical Provider (QMP) clinics throughout Utah. One little snippet of text on their site invites visitors to “go green with the help of our friendly, dedicated team.”
I seriously doubt the Utahmarijuana.org team is referring to the planet when they recommend going green. They are not referring to clean energy, recycling, or anything that could be construed as being eco-friendly. No, dear readers. ‘Going green’ to them means embracing medical cannabis.
Wink, Wink Marketing
I should point out that the heading under which the going green language is found says, “Friends in High Places”. There you go. Another piece of creative language designed to make a subtle point about the effects medical cannabis has on the brain. If you haven’t figured out the play on words, perhaps some independent study is in order.
At any rate, the creators of the Utahmarijuana.org website practice what I like to refer to as ‘wink, wink marketing’. They love clever euphemisms. They are very good at making use of inside jokes. They find ways to capture some of the marijuana culture’s language and present it in a cheeky way for a medical audience.
Should they be doing this? That is not for me to decide. Utah lawmakers have determined that medical cannabis should be okay in the Beehive State. They also have the authority to regulate how organizations like Utahmarijuana.org market their services. As long as operators follow the law, they are free to market in whatever way they see fit.
More About Going Green
Getting back to the idea of going green, it is pretty simple from a medical cannabis operator’s point of view. Whether it is a QMP, retail dispensary, or medical cannabis processor, they all want patients eligible for medical cannabis cards to get them. Patients with cards buy medical cannabis products. That’s what it’s about.
Again, medical cannabis operators need not be faulted for this. They are all running legitimate businesses. And like businesses in any other industry, they need to sell in order to survive. Maintaining strong sales requires clever marketing. In essence, they do what they do to make money.
Cannabis As a Medicine
Going green in medical cannabis is about using plant material and products derived from it to treat certain medical conditions. The most commonly treated conditions are:
- Persistent and chronic pain.
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Chronic nausea.
- Cancer and cancer pain.
- Seizure disorders.
In most states, pain is the big winner. It is in the Beehive State, where Utahmarijuana.org operators say approximately 73% of all active medical cannabis card holders use cannabis to treat pain.
Cannabis Is an Alternative
Whether a patient is diagnosed with persistent pain or PTSD, cannabis is an alternative treatment. It is an alternative to prescription medications, surgical procedures, counseling therapies, etc. It might not be an alternative everyone agrees on, but millions of people now rely on medical cannabis to feel better.
Next time you hear someone talking about going green, do not assume that saving the planet is the topic at hand. The person might be talking about using medical cannabis. After all, marijuana (cannabis) plants are green.