Providers
What is a recommending medical provider?
A recommending medical provider (RMP) is a Utah-licensed physician (MD, DO), advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), physician assistant (PA), or podiatrist (DPM) who recommends medical cannabis for their patients. They can also petition the Compassionate Use Board (CUB) for patients who are younger than 21 years or who don’t have a qualifying condition.
You can register as an RMP in the electronic verification system (EVS) or you can submit a paper medical cannabis certification directly to a medical cannabis pharmacy.
Recommending medical providers may recommend medical cannabis for up to 1.5% of the total number of Utah medical cannabis patients. Patients don’t count towards this limit if you bill insurance for their appointment.
The current RMP patient limit is 1,539 recommendations.
This will be updated October 1, 2025.
What is a recommending medical provider proxy?
A recommending medical provider (RMP) proxy is a staff member who helps the RMP manage their patients in the electronic verification system (EVS). RMPs can assign their staff members as proxies in the EVS. Proxies can review, edit, and submit patient information in the EVS on the RMP’s behalf.
RMPs assign staff members as proxies in their EVS account.
What is a pharmacy medical provider?
A pharmacy medical provider (PMP) is a licensed pharmacist or physician who is employed by a Utah medical cannabis pharmacy. They consult with medical cannabis patients and provide guidelines on the medical cannabis products and amounts patients should try.
A PMP must:
- Be employed by a Utah medical cannabis pharmacy.
- Create a Utah ID account and submit an application in the electronic verification system (EVS).
- Confirm in the EVS that they've completed their continuing medical education requirements.
Electronic verification system (EVS)
The Electronic Verification System (EVS) is an online database that holds all of the medical cannabis cards, recommendations, and purchase data for patients and medical providers in Utah. Providers that want to use the EVS must register as a recommending medical provider (RMP) in the EVS. After registering, providers can use the EVS to submit patient certifications, manage patients, update dosing guidelines, and more.
You must create a Utah ID to use the EVS.
Medical cannabis patient assessment checklist
Use this screening tool to help assess if medical cannabis is a good fit for your patient.
Quarterly medical provider meeting
The Center for Medical Cannabis hosts a quarterly virtual meeting for recommending medical providers (RMPs), RMP proxies, and pharmacy medical providers. We’ll answer your questions and discuss topics like program updates and statistics, law changes, and resources for recommending medical cannabis to patients.
Meeting minutes
Frequently asked questions
What medical conditions can I recommend medical cannabis for?
There are several medical conditions that you can recommend medical cannabis to your patients for. They include:
- acute pain for a condition such as surgery
- Alzheimer's disease
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- autism
- cachexia
- cancer
- Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- epilepsy or seizures
- HIV or AIDS
- multiple sclerosis (MS) or muscle spasms
- nausea that’s not caused by pregnancy, cannabis-induced cyclical vomiting syndrome, or cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
- persistent pain that lasts longer than 2 weeks.
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that you’re also getting treatment for from a mental health provider.
- a rare condition or disease defined by the National Institutes of Health.
- a terminal illness or hospice care with a life expectancy of less than 6 months.
Can I recommend medical cannabis for a patient that doesn't have a qualifying condition or who is younger than 21 years old?
If you have a patient who doesn’t have a qualifying condition or who is younger than 21 years old who would benefit from using medical cannabis, you can submit a petition to the Compassionate Use Board (CUB). The CUB will review the patient’s application, including their medical history, and current condition, and decide if cannabis is a good treatment option.
Learn more about the Compassionate Use Board (CUB) and how to submit a petition.
Do I need to meet in-person with patients?
You must meet in-person with a patient for their first medical cannabis card appointment unless the patient has a terminal illness, is in hospice care, or living in a facility and can’t come to an in-person visit. You can meet with them virtually or through telehealth for follow-up and card renewal appointments.
How will I determine the types and amounts of cannabis my patient uses?
You can specify the types of cannabis products and how much your patient can buy each month when you submit their certification in the electronic verification system (EVS). These are called dosing guidelines.
You can also defer the dosing guidelines to a medical cannabis pharmacist. They will work with the patient directly to figure out the types and amounts of cannabis that may work well for them.
A pharmacist will contact you directly if they have a recommendation for updating dosing guidelines you entered in the EVS.
What types of continuing education can I complete to meet the 4 hour requirement?
You can complete any continuing education that focuses on medical cannabis. Some examples of continuing education include: