Utah Marijuana Laws
Utah State Information Page
- Medical Program only
- Not decriminalized
- Possession is not allowed recreationally; possession of a thirty-day supply is legal for medical patients.
- Cultivation is illegal
Medical marijuana was legalized in Utah in 2018 after two years of back and forth with the state’s lawmakers and health departments. Recreational marijuana remains illegal for now.
State Laws and Offenses
Here’s a list of penalties for Utah’s possession, sale, and distribution of marijuana, concentrate, or paraphernalia.
- Marijuana is a Schedule I drug in the state of Utah
- Federally, cannabis is still considered a Schedule I Controlled Substance
- Possession of less than 1 ounce is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment and a maximum fine of 1,000 USD.
- The sale of any amount is a felony punishable by a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of 5,000 USD.
- Cultivation in Utah will be punished based upon the aggregate weight of the plants found.
- Possession of paraphernalia is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment and a maximum fine of 1,000 USD.
- Any conviction will result in a driver’s license suspension for six months.
Patients can become certified for a medical marijuana card in Utah for any conditions below. The Utah Medical Cannabis Program recognizes these qualifying conditions:
- 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, and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy
- Debilitating seizures, Multiple sclerosis
- Ulcerative Colitis Epilepsy
- Debilitating muscle spasms
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Autism
- Terminally ill patients whose 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 US, as defined in federal law, and that is not adequately managed despite treatment attempts using conventional medications or physical interventions
- Chronic pain lasting longer than two weeks is inadequately managed despite attempts to use traditional medications or physical interventions
1.
Book An Appointment
You will schedule an appointment to see a medical marijuana doctor in Utah at a time that is most convenient for you. Provide basic medical history and book your appointment with a licensed medical marijuana doctor.
2.
Evaluation
Consult with a doctor for a quick evaluation of your ailments, and ask any questions you may have about medical marijuana treatment.
3.
Approval
Within 24 hours after the evaluation, the doctor will send your certificate via email for your recommendation for medical marijuana. After receiving that recommendation, you can then apply with the state of Utah to complete the registration process.
4.
Complete Registration
Once approved, return to the state website to process the state fee and submit the application
Does Utah accept out-of-state medical cards?
The state of Utah does not accept out-of-state medical marijuana cards from patients. However, out-of-state patients can use their own supply per the Utah state laws and must apply for a state card within 45 days of residency.
When does my Utah medical card expire?
Medical cards expire one year from the date the patient completes the registration process with the state.
Utah marijuana DUI laws
The penalties for DUI in Utah are as follows:
- First offense for operating a motor vehicle under the influence: Class B misdemeanor punishable by at least 48 consecutive hours in prison, a minimum fine of 700 USD, 48 hours of a compensatory-service work program, driver’s license revocation for 120 days, and the court may impose probation or order substance abuse treatment.
- Second offense: Class B misdemeanor is punishable by at least 240 hours of prison or community service, a fine of at least 800 USD, participation in an educational course, suspension of license for two years, and the court may impose substance abuse treatment. For a third or subsequent conviction, the penalties get more severe.
Utah marijuana growing laws
Utah does not permit medical marijuana patients to cultivate their own cannabis.
Utah public consumption laws
HB 3001 states that medical cannabis patient cardholders are banned from using cannabis in public view. The only exception to this rule is if they experience an emergency medical condition. Others in possession of marijuana in public places are liable to receive fines or time in prison if convicted.
Utah city specific laws
The laws listed here are for the state. Cities, counties, schools, universities, and employers may set their own rules and consequences. Be sure to check how marijuana laws differ in each county or town before you use.
In a 2021 poll, 64 percent of Utah voters supported the legalization of marijuana in their state.
Marijuana is currently not legal for use in Utah. After the medical program has been established, it will be permitted for medicinal purposes only. Those that have applied and obtained a Utah cannabis license or certified patients will be allowed possession.
No, registered patients are not permitted to grow their own cannabis.
Yes. Here are the steps per the Utah Department of Health:
1. Locate a qualified medical provider who is registered to recommend medical cannabis.
2. Meet with qualified medical providers in person
3. Create a Utah ID account
4. Review the EVS user guide and apply online for a medical cannabis card
5. After a patient creates a profile in the EVS, a patient’s QMP goes online and issues a recommendation
6. Medical cannabis patients that have been diagnosed with a non-qualifying condition must upload the Compassionate Use Board Petition form to the EVS.
7. Pay the medicinal marijuana card application fee online
8. UDOH reviews medical cannabis card application
9. Patients younger than age 21 and adult patients without a qualifying condition will receive an email regarding their Compassionate Use Board petition status.
10. Receive medical cannabis card
11. Purchase medical marijuana from a medical cannabis pharmacy
Requirements are as follows:
Be 18 years of age or older
You must be able to provide proof of your IL residency
You must have a diagnosis that qualifies in Illinois and a doctor’s prescription.
You must submit a signed Physician Certification with your MMP application – and that is where Leafy Doc can help. We can assist with booking your appointment and then provide the Physician Certification so that you can apply to get your medical card. Once you have the card, you may visit licensed medical marijuana dispensaries and even grow medical cannabis.
Cannabis Policy Reform Timeline
1915: Cannabis prohibition began in Utah
2014: A bill was passed to allow patients diagnosed with intractable epilepsy to acquire a registration card to access CBD-rich cannabis extracts with no more than 0.3% THC.
2018: 53% of Utah voters approved the Medical Cannabis Act and the new medical marijuana laws were signed by the Utah legislature.
2020: Utah’s first medical marijuana pharmacy opened in Salt Lake City. Several improvements have been made to Utah’s medical cannabis program almost two years into legal sales. Patients can now get medical cannabis delivered at home or pick it up via a drive-through.
2022: Utah lawmakers are attempting to amend employment discrimination protections after firing a firefighter for off-hours medical cannabis use.
Learn more about Cannabis legalization in Utah:
Updated 6.14.2022