For medical marijuana patients, the drug is not only for getting high. It offers relief from pain, nausea and other symptoms of illness.

Now, medical marijuana patients are worried that supply of their medicine is in “grave danger” when legal recreational marijuana goes on sale.

“No regulations have been drafted that would protect the patient supply in times that the demand outweighs the supply,” said Michael Latulippe, development director for the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, which represents medical marijuana patients.

According to experts who have been following the marijuana industry in other states, Massachusetts is likely to face a shortage of marijuana once legal sales begin in July. That is because it will take time for the industry to ramp up and develop enough growing facilities to meet the demand.

“I look at what happened in Nevada last summer, Colorado, Washington, Oregon when they opened retail,” said Peter Bernard, president of the Massachusetts Grower Advocacy Council. “All of them ran out in a week or less.”

Bernard added, “We’re talking about opening this summer in the middle of tourist season.” [Read more at Mass Live]