Limited medical provider (LMP)

STEP 1: Patient meets face-to-face with a medical provider. Patients must be 21 years or older and have a qualifying condition to receive a recommendation. Once a qualifying condition is confirmed, LMPs must use the Limited Medical Provider Recommendation for Medical Cannabis form. The form can be found and downloaded in the "Limited medical provider resources" section, below. The form can be submitted to a medical cannabis pharmacy through an encrypted email, secure fax, or delivered by the patient. If emailed by someone other than the LMP, the LMP must be copied on the email. A list of medical cannabis pharmacy locations and corresponding contact information is available here.

STEP 2: Patient applies for a medical cannabis card with DHHS. Patients must apply for a medical cannabis card with DHHS at opens in a new tabhttps://evs.utah.gov/login.sso.submit.do

STEP 3: Medical cannabis pharmacy completes the patient's application. A pharmacist at a medical cannabis pharmacy will complete the application after receipt of the "Limited Medical Provider Recommendation for Medical Cannabis" form. The pharmacy must contact the LMP's clinic to verify its validity.

STEP 4: Patient pays application fee online. The Patient logs into their Electronic Verification System (EVS) account online and pays the medical cannabis card application fee.

STEP 5: DHHS issues the medical cannabis card. DHHS reviews the patient's medical cannabis card application and issues the patient's medical cannabis card. Once the patient receives their medical cannabis card by email from the DHHS, the patient may purchase medical cannabis from a licensed medical cannabis pharmacy of their choice.

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, 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, 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

• Medical cannabis education materials
• opens in a new tabLMP Recommendation for Medical Cannabis Form
• opens in a new tabLMP Medical Cannabis Guide
• opens in a new tabLimited Medical Provider Overview
• opens in a new tabRecommending Medical Cannabis: Utah's Limited Medical Provider Program article in the Utah Physician magazine
• opens in a new tabNovember 21, 2022 presentation to the Utah Academy of Family Physicians: Utah medical cannabis: Laws and operation basics"