Individuals may apply for a medical cannabis card here. Medical cannabis cards cannot be obtained from a medical cannabis pharmacy, medical clinic, or from any entity other than DHHS.

The requirements to get a medical cannabis card include:

1. Must be a Utah Resident;
2. Must have at least one qualifying condition;
3. Submit an application online;
4. Meet in-person with a medical provider registered with the Utah Department of Health to recommend medical cannabis;
5. The medical provider has certified your eligibility for a medical cannabis card online; and
6. Pay a $15 application fee online.

NOTE: If a patient is a minor under the age of 21 or if they are an adult over 21 but do not have a qualifying condition, the application must be reviewed by the Compassionate Use Board. A minor cannot receive a medical cannabis card unless their parent or legal guardian qualifies for a medical cannabis guardian card.

As of January 3, 2022, a patient’s first medical cannabis card is active for 6 months from the date it was issued (Compassionate Use Board patient renewal dates may differ). The patient and their qualified medical provider (QMP) must renew the card online or the card expires. Subsequent card renewal cycles are six months or one year. The one-year renewal cycle is possible if, after at least one year following the issuance of the original card, the QMP determines that the patient has been stabilized on medical cannabis treatment and a one-year renewal period is justified.

Medical cannabis cardholders may visit a medical cannabis pharmacy to purchase products. As of July 1, 2021, out-of-state purchases and possession of medical cannabis are no longer permitted.

For adult patients ages 21 and older with a qualifying condition, the application review process will be completed 15 days or less from the date the application is submitted. For patients under the age of 21 and adult patients without a qualifying condition, the application review process will be completed 90 days or less from the date the complete patient petition is submitted, as these applications must be reviewed by the Compassionate Use Board.

DHHS has a list of medical providers who have registered with the DHHS as Qualified Medical Providers (QMPs). This list only includes those QMPs who have authorized the DHHS to post their name, specialty, and contact information on the DHHS website.

Participation in the medical cannabis program as a medical provider is voluntary and some providers will not choose to become QMPs. If your current provider will not be participating in the program, you may choose to consult with other providers covered by your health insurance about their registration status or talk to your provider about seeing a QMP that they recommend.

Qualifying conditions under the Utah Medical Cannabis Act are listed below:

• HIV or acquired immune deficiency syndrome
• Alzheimer’s disease
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• cancer
• cachexia
• persistent nausea that is not significantly responsive to traditional treatment, except for nausea related to:
  • pregnancy
  • cannabis-induced cyclical vomiting syndrome
  • cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
• Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
• epilepsy or debilitating seizures
• multiple sclerosis or persistent and debilitating muscle spasms
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that is being treated and monitored by a licensed health therapist (defined here), and that:
  • has been diagnosed by a healthcare provider by the Veterans Administration and documented in the patient’s record; or
  • has been diagnosed or confirmed by evaluation from a psychiatrist, masters prepared psychologist, a masters prepared licensed clinical social worker, or a psychiatric APRN
• autism
• a terminal illness when the patient’s life expectancy is less than six months
• a condition resulting in the individual receiving hospice care
• a rare condition or disease that affects less than 200,000 individuals in the U.S., as defined in federal law, and that is not adequately managed despite treatment attempts using conventional medications (other than opioids or opiates) or physical interventions
• persistent pain lasting longer than two weeks that is not adequately managed, in the qualified medical provider’s opinion, despite treatment attempts using conventional medications other than opioids or opiates or physical interventions
• acute pain that is expected to last for 2 weeks or longer for an acute condition, including a surgical procedure, for which a medical professional may generally prescribe opioids for a limited duration

Note: Patients with medical conditions not listed in the law may petition the Compassionate Use Board for a medical cannabis card, which will review complete petitions and recommend eligibility on a case-by-case basis. LMPs are unable to submit to the Compassionate Use Board. 

Medical cannabis will only be available in the following forms under the Utah Medical Cannabis Act:

• Aerosol
• Tablet
• Capsule
• Concentrated oil
• Liquid suspension
• Transdermal preparation
• Gelatinous cube
• Unprocessed cannabis flower in a tamper-evident and a resistant container that is opaque that contains a quantity that varies no more than 10% from the stated weight at the time of packaging
• Wax or resin
• Medical cannabis devices such as a vaping pen that warms cannabis material into a vapor without the use of a flame and that delivers cannabis to an individual’s respiratory system

Smoking cannabis is not permitted.

The law prohibits candies, cookies, brownies, and other edible products.

Qualifying patients may not possess more than an amount sufficient to provide 30 days of treatment based on the dosing guidelines recommended by their recommending medical provider and may not exceed:

• More than 113 grams of unprocessed cannabis (flower); and
• More than 20 grams of total composite THC in all other medicinal dosage forms.

Within a 30-day period, qualifying patients may not purchase more than an amount sufficient to provide 30 days of treatment based on the dosing guidelines recommended by their recommending medical provider and may not exceed:

• more than 113 grams of unprocessed cannabis (flower); and
• more than 20 grams of total composite THC in all other medicinal dosage forms.

No, cannabis is not legal under federal law.

Because medical cannabis users are not a protected class, there are no renter protections for those who choose to possess and use medical cannabis.

There are some limited protections for state and local government employees. The Utah Medical Cannabis Act allows these employers to treat medical cannabis use in the same fashion as opioids or opiates, meaning that disciplinary action and/or termination may occur due to impairment or poor job performance.

Private employees are subject to their employer’s policies, which may include zero-tolerance for cannabis and/or drug testing.

Yes. It is legal under Utah law for anyone to purchase and possess hemp extract, or CBD oil if it contains less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These products must be registered with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

Monthly updates and other news can be found here.

To sign up for the DHHS Center for Medical Cannabis Monthly Update emails, click here.

Patient Cards: Patients 18 years of age and older.

Guardian Cards: Parents or legal guardians of minors who are eligible to consume medical cannabis. These cards are issued in conjunction with provisional patient cards.

Provisional Patient Cards: Minors under the age of 18 who meet the eligibility requirements to consume medical cannabis. These are issued in conjunction with guardian cards. All provisional patient cards must have approval from the Compassionate Use Board.

Caregiver Cards: Adults 21 years of age and older who care for patient cardholders who are unable to procure or consume medical cannabis on their own. Caregivers must be designated by the patient cardholders they will be assisting.

Non-Utah Resident Cards: Patients with a Utah qualifying condition that hold a cannabis card from another state may apply for a temporary card while visiting Utah.

The following fees apply to medical cannabis cards:

• Patient Card (initial): $15
• Patient Card (six-month renewal): $15
• Guardian Card (initial): $68.25
• Guardian Card (six-month renewal): $24
• Caregiver Card (initial): $68.25
• Caregiver Card (six-month renewal): $14
• Non-Utah Resident Card (initial & renewal): $15

Qualified medical providers (QMPs) may submit directions for use and dosing guidelines for their patients in the electronic verification system (EVS) or they may leave those up to the pharmacy medical provider at the medical cannabis pharmacy to determine.

The Compassionate Use Board is responsible to review all card applications from patients under the age of 21 and patients with conditions not listed in the statute. These patients must submit medical cannabis card application, petition the Board, and be approved by the Board and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services before a medical cannabis card can be issued. The Board consists of seven providers who meet to review applications for medical cannabis cards on a case-by-case basis.

The patient must have a Utah qualifying condition and register with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services for a Non-Utah Resident card via the Electronic Verification System (EVS) for approval. Non-Utah Residents may request a card for up to two 21-day periods within a calendar year. For instructions on how to change your application click here.  Or contact us at Medicalcannabis@utah.gov or call 801-538-6504

Utah cardholders can only purchase medical cannabis from a DHHS contracted pharmacy. Home delivery options may be available at select locations; check the pharmacy’s website for participation.

All participants in the medical cannabis program must submit a valid and current form of government-issued photo ID. Please visit the Utah Department of Public Safety website for more information about obtaining an Identification Card or Driver’s License. Information about obtaining a United States passport or passport card can be found here.

• 1. Utah Code 26-61a-103 (4) provides that all Utah-licensed physicians, APRNs, Podiatrists, and PAs may access information about a cardholder if the cardholder is a patient the prescribing provider treats.
• 2. Utah Code 26-61a-103 (2)(g) provides that state and local law enforcement may verify if an individual holds a medical cannabis card during a law enforcement encounter.  If state and local law enforcement wants to verify the medical cannabis card of an individual at a time other than during a law enforcement encounter, they must first obtain a warrant from a court judge for that information.  If state or local law enforcement wants a cardholder’s medical cannabis product purchase history, they must first obtain a warrant from a court judge for that information.
• 3. Utah Code 26-61a-103 (5) provides that the department may release limited data collected about cardholders for the purpose of conducting medical and other department-approved research. In the future, it is possible that medical researchers from an accredited university may obtain approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to conduct medical research.  In these cases, only limited data about cardholders would be released.

If you wish to withdraw your consent for your information to be used for external research, please email medicalcannabis@utah.gov to opt-out.

If you wish to cancel your patient card prior to your expiration date, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your account at evs.utah.gov
2. From the Tracking Inbox, click Patient (not new patient)
3. Click on your name to open your application.
4. Click the blue “cancel my registration” button from the bottom of your application.