In November of 2018, Utah voters approved Proposition 2, legalizing the use of medical cannabis for qualified patients. The law went into effect on December 1st of that year, and the Utah Medical Marijuana Program started serving patients in 2020. Further legislation has worked to prohibit discrimination against medical cannabis patients and expand the program by gradually allowing doctors to recommend more patients for the state’s medical cannabis program.
Medical cannabis has far outpaced growth projections in Utah, with over 35,000 patients already possessing a medical card. If you are looking to receive your medical cannabis card, here is everything you need to know.
Quick Guide on How to get a Medical Marijuana Card in Utah
The process for applying for a medical cannabis card in Utah is similar to most other states, and includes three basic steps:
- Check Your Eligibility: To get a medical cannabis card, Utahns will need to be diagnosed with one of the approved qualifying conditions listed below.
- Contact a Physician: Along with a diagnosis, you will need a recommendation from a licensed medical provider who is registered in the state’s cannabis program. As long as you have a qualifying condition and the documents to prove it, getting a recommendation is a relatively straightforward process. Heally can help you connect with a licensed provider in Utah for a consultation.
- Complete Your Application and Get Your Card: Once you have a physician’s recommendation, you need to submit an application for the Utah Medical Cannabis Program.
How to Get a Utah Medical Marijuana Card in Three Steps
Check Your Eligibility
There are currently 15 qualifying conditions in the current Utah law that allow for eligibility in the state’s medical cannabis program:
- Pain lasting longer than two weeks that is not adequately managed despite treatment attempts
- 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)
- PTSD that is being treated or monitored by a licensed mental health provider
- Any terminal illness where life expectancy is less than six months
- Any condition resulting in hospice care
- Any rare condition that affects 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.
Get a Certification from a Physician
To qualify for a Utah medical marijuana card, you must meet in person with a qualified medical provider (QMP). During your visit, the QMP must complete a thorough assessment of your condition and medical history and document it as part of your application submission. You can use your appointment to address any questions or concerns you have about medical cannabis with your QMP as well. After your meeting, you can begin working on your medical cannabis application online.
Complete Your Application
To submit your application, you first must create a Utah ID account. A Utah ID account can be created by going to id.utah.gov. After initiating an application through your Utah ID account, your QMP must log in and complete their section of the patient application, which includes their recommendation for medical cannabis treatment.
After the recommendation from your QMP is completed you can submit your application by paying the medical cannabis card fee. In Utah, this includes:
- Patient Card (initial): $15
- Patient Card (first 90-day renewal): $5
- Patient Card (six-month renewal): $15
The Utah Department of Health will review the patient’s medical cannabis card application and confirm whether all requirements have been met. Adult patients ages 21 and older can expect the process to take about 15 days. For minors, the process may take as long as 90 days, as these applications must be reviewed by the Compassionate Use Board.
Approved patients will be emailed a copy of their medical cannabis card, allowing them to purchase from one of the state’s 14 approved cannabis dispensaries.
