Medical Marijuana in Utah
Medical marijuana was legalized in Utah on Nov. 6, 2018, when 53 percent of voters approved Proposition 2, otherwise known as the Utah Medical Cannabis Act.
The law permits the use of medical cannabis for patients with a qualifying condition and a physician’s recommendation.
The law stipulates that medical marijuana can only be consumed as a capsule, a gelatin cube, concentrated oil, liquid suspension, skin patch, or sublingual pill. For specific conditions, it may be taken as a resin or wax. Smoking marijuana is not a method approved by law.
Patients or their designated caregivers may only possess up to 113 grams of unprocessed cannabis, or a cannabis product with less than 20 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Qualifying Conditions
- ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Autism
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- HIV/AIDS
- Epilepsy or a similar condition that causes “debilitating seizures”
- Multiple sclerosis or persistent and debilitating muscle spasms
- Nausea (must be persistent)
- Pain lasting longer than two weeks that is not adequately managed despite treatment attempts
- PTSD “that is being treated or monitored by a licensed mental health therapist”
- Any terminal illness where life expectancy is less than six months
- Any condition resulting in hospice care
- Any rare condition that effects fewer than 200,000 persons in the United States as defined by Section 526 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and is not adequately managed despite treatment attempts
**Patients with a qualifying illness between the ages of 18 and 21 must petition the Compassionate Use Board for medical cannabis approval.
How to Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in Utah
To obtain medical marijuana in Utah, patients or their caregivers must submit an electronic application linked to an electronic verification system, with the recommending physician while in the recommending physician’s office.
Once issued, the card is valid for 30 days. Upon renewal, it is valid for 60 days. After the second renewal, it is valid for six months, or less if determined by the patient’s physician.
The patient registry fee is yet to be determined.
Patients may designate up to two caregivers to help purchase and transport medical marijuana. Caregivers must be at least 21 years of age, a resident of Utah, pass a criminal background check, and have no recent felony convictions.
Utah does not recognize medical marijuana cards issued in other states.
Renewal Requirements
As above, with fees yet to be determined.
Where You Can Buy It
Patients can obtain medical marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries (referred to in the law as “medical pharmacies”), but these are not yet operational.
Regulators may issue licenses for no more than seven medical pharmacies.