Cannabis in Utah

On December 3, 2018, Utah lawmakers passed the Utah Medical Cannabis Act, and the Utah Department of Health will begin accepting applications for medical cannabis patient cards by March 1, 2020 when the state’s medical marijuana program is expected to go live. Information on this page provides an overview of laws that will be in effect after the program goes live.

Overview of Key Utah Cannabis Laws

Is medical cannabis allowed? Yes

Is adult-use cannabis allowed? No

Personal Laws

Cannabis has not been decriminalized in Utah. Possession of 1 oz. or less is a misdemeanor penalized with a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to six months in jail.

Personal Possession

Overall Possession: None

Registered Medical Cannabis Patient: Up to a 30-day supply

Out-of-State Registered Medical Cannabis Patient: Patients from other states who have been diagnosed with qualifying conditions under Utah’s medical cannabis law have legal protections if they have a medical marijuana patient registration card from another state and are in possession of cannabis in a form allowed under Utah law.

Personal Growing

Personal growing is not allowed in Utah.

Registered Medical Patient Growing: N/A

Medical Cannabis Patient Qualification and Registry

Patients in Utah can submit an application to the Utah Department of Health to receive a medical cannabis registration card if they’ve received a recommendation from a healthcare provider who has registered with the state’s program. Patients may designate up to two caregivers.

Qualifying medical conditions include:

HIV or AIDS
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, doctorate psychologist, a doctorate 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
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
A condition that the compassionate use board approves (once established) on a case-by-case basis

Business Laws

Medical cannabis will be sold through licensed medical cannabis pharmacies, which are required to employ at least one state-licensed pharmacist. These licenses are issued by the Utah Department of Health. Cultivator, processor, and testing lab licenses are issued by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

License Types

Medical Cannabis Pharmacy License
Cultivator License
Processor License
Testing Lab License

License Fees

Medical Cannabis Pharmacy: $2,500 application fee and a variable license fee as follows:

Urban: $67,000
Rural: $50,000
Home Delivery Urban: $69,500
Home Delivery Rural: $52,500
Courier: $2,500

Cultivator: $10,000 application fee and $100,000 license fee

Processor: $1,250 application fee and $100,000 license fee for a Tier 1 license or $35,000 license fee for a Tier 2 license

Testing Lab: $500 application fee and $15,000 license fee

License Timeline

Only 14 medical cannabis pharmacy licenses are allowed in Utah, but just eight of those licenses will be awarded in time for the program’s launch. The remainder are expected to be issued by July 2020.

Ten cultivator licenses are allowed but the program will start with just eight issued licenses. Licenses will be geographically distributed between four regions with each region having a minimum of one license.

The state is not currently accepting cultivator or medical cannabis pharmacy licenses, but the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is accepting processor and testing lab license applications.

Testing

Cannabis testing is required in Utah at a licensed cannabis testing lab.

Training

Medical cannabis agents employed in cultivation, processing, or at a lab testing facility in Utah must receive Utah Cannabis Agent Training (UCAT) from a provider approved by the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Learn More about Cannabis in Utah and How to Work or Start a Business in the Cannabis Industry

Leafy Green Agency offers a variety of certification seminars for people who want to start businesses, find jobs, get promotions, or invest in the cannabis industry across the country. Follow the link to learn more about our educational seminars.

Sources and More Information

Data current as of 1/24/20.