Did you know that there are now more than 83,000 Medical Cannabis Card holders in Utah? Thousands of people are joining the program every quarter. That tells us some important things, including the fact that there may be people reading this post who have not yet gotten their cards despite wanting to do so. If you are one of them, what do you know about the state’s electronic verification system (EVS)?
We ask the question for a very important reason: getting a Medical Cannabis Card requires interacting with the EVS. The EVS is the heart and soul of Medical Cannabis administration in Utah. But no worries, it is nothing to be afraid of.
You can use a smartphone, right? You know how to browse websites and sign up for accounts as well. With just basic computer and phone skills, you can do what’s necessary in the EVS to get and renew your Medical Cannabis Card.
The simplest way to explain the EVS is to call it an online portal. It is a portal used by patients, medical providers, and government employees to manage the state’s Medical Cannabis program. As a patient, your use of the EVS is strictly for managing your card.
To get an initial Medical Cannabis Card, you first need to establish an EVS account. You do that by going to the EVS website and signing up – just as you would with any other type of account. The only caveat is that you have a UtahID already in place. More on that in a minute.
With an EVS account established, the process for getting your card is pretty straightforward:
That’s it. Completed applications are reviewed within a few days. Normally, review and approval occur much faster. If approved, you receive your Medical Cannabis Card electronically. You can carry it on your phone or print a paper copy. It is your choice.
Medical Cannabis patients need a UtahID account in order to establish an EVS account. The UtahID system was put in place to make it easier to connect state residents with digital services. The system is essentially the hub of all online activities available to residents.
If you have done things like renew your car registration online, you likely already have a UtahID account. You would use the same username and password to establish your EVS account. If you don’t have a UtahID username and password, you do not have an account. You will need to sign up for one before you can use the EVS.
One final word before closing up here: don’t confuse the EVS with the state’s Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system. The EVV system has nothing to do with Medical Cannabis Cards. It is a system designed to verify data related to home and community-based Medicaid services.
The thing about the EVV system is that you couldn’t sign up for it even if you tried. The system is for providers and vendors. Nonetheless, we would hate for you to be confused and think you cannot get a Medical Cannabis Card because the computer system will not let you in.
For Medical Cannabis Cards, you want the EVS. Just pop on over to the site and set up your own account. That’s the first step in getting a card in Utah.
