When did you get introduced to medical cannabis? [6:07]
How do you respond to people who say that this is just a way to make marijuana recreationally legal? [8:09]
What’s the history of medical marijuana? [13:05]
How do you get a medical marijuana prescription or recommendation? [14:08]
How will patients be monitored? [16:37]
What type of treatment do you normally start patients with? [17:55]
What effect does the THC-CBD tincture produce? [19:04]
How will dispensaries be set up? [23:10]
How are providers trained on medical cannabis? [24:10]
Where can I go to find out more information about medical marijuana in Utah? [26:33]
How can medical marijuana be delivered in Utah? [27:23]
Why wasn’t anxiety included as a qualifying condition? [32:22]
What has been the most rewarding part of this work? [39:35]
How can people contact you? [45:46]
UtahMarijuana.org
Utahmarijuana.clinic
IAmSaltLake.com
I have quite a few people that have had life changing experiences because of cannabis. I have family members with cancer, and cannabis benefited them remarkably.
A good friend of mine, who ended up in the cannabis growing industry in Utah and is one of the growers, said to me “Hey, we’re going to get into this medical cannabis. There’s nobody doing it. The state is building this multi-million dollar industry from the bottom up, but there’s no one helping patients get access.” He drove me crazy all last year about it until I started looking into it. Last summer when I really started diving in.
My response to these naysayers is to please come to my clinic, come talk to the people and listen to the people that I see. Sure, I see people who are using it both recreationally and medically? Yes, but those are not the patients that I see.
The patients that I see come in at 68 years old saying, “I’m addicted to Percocet. I can’t get off my five pills a day. I’ve never smoked weed in my life, but I just want to quit taking these pills.”
That person has a legitimate need for some alternative. Cutting them off from their narcotics is not the right thing to do, but this is what makes sense.
I’m not saying that we need to give them marijuana forever. The goal is not to switch them to medical marijuana for the rest of their life. The goal is to reduce their opioid use now and see where that takes them.
As early as the 1970s medical marijuana was being delivered in California.
In the 1990s, a law was finally passed. However, because of federal laws, physicians were getting indicted by the federal government, and they had to fight for their right to discuss it and recommend it to patients.
There are very few providers in the state of Utah, including myself.
You can ask your regular doctor to write a recommendation for one of the 15 qualifying conditions in Utah, which include pain lasting longer than two weeks.
The majority of people who use medical cannabis are using it for pain. Nausea, chemotherapy induced nausea are also common among people who are prescribed medical marijuana.
If they are willing and knowledgeable about this, then they can say yes. However, the reality is they’re not doing it.
A reason for this is the scope of medicine. Once a doctor recommends medical marijuana, are they then going to recommend a delivery method? Are they going to recommend that you take pills or a tincture or you vape it? Do they even know that those options are legal. What is the dosing that they want you to try?
If your doctor has experience with cannabis, they might know already how much they can handle with an edible. If this is somebody with no experience, they need that instruction, or they need at least somewhere to go find the information.
In Utah they’ve set up a good system for followup. A patient will come in to see me initially, and then they’ll need to come see me again in 30 days. Their card, once the Utah Department of Health makes those cards available, will be good for 30 days.
You will then have to go back for a follow up. During that period of 30 days, you’re going to try to get your therapeutic dose established and then come back for a checkup.
After 30 days, you’re going to see that provider every six months to renew your card and make sure that the therapy is good.
I recommend that those people start with a tincture because they can get the lowest possible dose.
I recommend a THC-CBD ratio of at least one-to-one. The evidence says that we need to be using these things together.
We also use CBD to keep the psychoactivity or the high to a minimum. This is because we can increase the CBD dose in comparison to the THC, and we can keep people from becoming forgetful and dizzy.
It works on the mind to disassociate you from your pain. It’s not necessarily making the pain go away. It’s letting you be okay with the pain. The CBD has the neuro-protective effect, protecting the brain. It’s also protecting the nerves, so they just work together.
The people that I talk to in the growing and the producing industry are putting together a dispensary that looks and feels as professional as possible. All of the dispensaries are going to have pharmacists or medical providers on staff, which is going to increase their cost quite a bit, but they’re going to be trained.
If a doctor doesn’t recommend a delivery or dosing system, then the patient needs to meet with a pharmacist at the dispensary to get that recommendation because they’re only going to be able to buy a 30-day supply.
However, unless you have a Utah medical marijuana card, you won’t be able to get access to the dispensaries.
Currently, there is no formal training. We are all self-taught.
However, I’m going to be teaching cannabis medicine to PA students at the University of Utah and Rocky Mountain University. It will be a few lectures long, discussing Utah law, the endocannabinoid system, where we’re at with medical cannabis, the delivery systems and how to keep patients safe. Those lectures will start later this spring, and will part of their regular pharmacology program.
You can go to UtahMarijuana.org. There you’ll get information about all of the qualifying conditions, how to find a medical provider, what to expect at a visit, what the diagnosis of pain might look like, etc.
You can’t use a flame, meaning you cannot smoke a joint or use a bong. That may seem ridiculous, but when you talk about cannabis from a medical standpoint and you want to make it look like medicine, there is no medical reason to have a lighter
Marijuana can be electrically heated, which is a safer method of delivery. You’re not getting the carcinogens from the flame and the combustion. You’re just heating it between 320 and 450 degrees. This activates all of the terpenes and the cannabinoids in the plant and safely delivers it to the respiratory system.
Anxiety was discussed as an option. However, overdosing on THC makes people anxious and paranoid. With cannabis, some people are genuinely more susceptible to becoming paranoid and highly anxious than other people.
Seeing people reduce the amount of prescriptions that they take. It changes their lives, including the way they function and how they take care of their kids.
They are not getting high. They are just becoming more of who they wanted to become.
I have seen people stop stealing drugs out of their families drawers because of cannabis. I have seen patients who are fully functional, high performing people who’ve gotten off their opioids on their own.
It’s important that these people have access to this. You cannot say enough about these people being given more control over their own illness. I do this because I think people have the right to control their illness better, and this gives them more control.
UtahMarijuana.org is a great place to start. That’s going to give you a lot of information.
UtahMarijuana.clinic is my clinic website.
You can also call me at 801-851-5444. I answer all the phones right now because I want to talk to every patient myself. I want to be involved in the whole process from the beginning.
Click on any topic to link to that section.
Yes, Medical Marijuana is already legal in Utah. This was first voted by the passing of proposition 2 in 2016 and a compromise bill, with updates making it more similar to prop 2, was passed. This bill, the Utah Medical Cannabis Act is the current active legislation on Utah Medical Marijuana.
The qualifying medical conditions to be eligible for a Utah Medical Marijuana Card include:
Curious about becoming a patient and being evaluated for a Medical Marijuana Card? Read this post.
Google search can find available providers in SLC. You could also try Utah Patient Coalition, they keep a list of willing providers across the state.
Another option is, of course, to ask your primary care provider or specialist. This is the best option if you want the visit covered by insurance because if a patient has a long-standing relationship with a provider that is willing and qualified (with the appropriate malpractice in place), they can do the recommendation during a normal visit. Usually this requires a long term patient-provider relationship (greater than three months) and a visit that is billed for the complaint, not for Medical Marijuana.
There are some providers who specialize in Medical Cannabis who are available for referrals. These clinics, including UtahMarijuana.clinic provide comprehensive education, dosing, and delivery recommendations for their patients.
Medical profProvider note: Malpractice coverage should specifically cover cannabis recommendations before seeing patients.
After March 2020 patients will be able to find a list of willing providers at the Utah Department of Health provider locator page.
Most of the willing providers have been limited, by the state, to 175 patients total. Unless this changes with legislation this year there may be providers who reach their maximum within the first few months. I am not suggesting patients rush to get a card, but it will be interesting to see if Utah decides to limit providers moving forward. Stay in our email list to be notified of those changes.
Finally, after March 1st, when all providers must log their patient letters/recommendations into the system, it will be interesting to see if many of the “recommending providers” have run out of patients to see. That is because many providers have been limited to 175 patients in total. This will leave less available and willing providers if the Utah legislature does not change the law and let some of us become the specialists we need to be for patients to get the access they deserve.
In any case it is difficult to find a quality Medical Marijuana specialist. Seek specialists who belong to groups like the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and work with Utah Patient Coalition first. Ask your primary care provider for a referral, or call our office and we can help you find someone you can trust.
Most visits will require a $250-$300 charge. No insurance covers a patient evaluation for Medical Marijuana as the primary reason for the visit. This is covered more here. New York State is starting to force insurance companies to pay for the visit, but this has not happened in Utah yet, or in any other state.
Many office visits include the initial consultation with a free follow-up appointment to adjust the therapy. Once you are stable on your dose, you will follow-up every 6 months to renew your certification.
The monthly cost of Medical Marijuana depends on how much you need and what delivery system you choose. It is common to spend between $100-$200 per month. One day, hopefully, insurance will start to cover Medical Marijuana.
While patients can use a Visa, MasterCard, and in some cases HSA funds to pay for the medical evaluation and recommendation, cannabis will not be available for purchase with any credit cards in the dispensaries. This is because it is still listed as a federal one schedule one substance and Visa and MasterCard have not yet allowed transactions for marijuana purchases.
Being a medical provider that recommends cannabis to your patients requires a few specific considerations. First, know that you will likely be limited to 175 patients unless you are board-certified in pain, palliative care, oncology, neurology, anesthesia, or gastroenterology. If that makes you reconsider even getting involved, you are not alone.
Providers need to attend a 4-hour CME course, approved by the Department of Health, to be eligible for the title of Qualified Medical Provider. The course is offered online or in person.
See this article for other considerations about becoming a medical provider.
Providers also will require specific malpractice insurance and must pay $300 to the state for registration.
There are providers who can offer “best practice” guidelines and provide education on delivery methods (oral, vape, flower, oils) and dosing (how much and how often)? But, some providers will give a recommendation and let patients figure it out on their own. If they don’t provide dosing then the patient is required to visit with a pharmacist or another doctor to establish dosing “guardrails”.
This might not be a big issue for seasoned users, but anyone who wants more information on the science behind the medicine, ratios of CBD to THC may want to double-check with their provider prior to the visit. If find that your provider does not offer this service, try finding info here.
To obtain a card, patients with a recommendation will go to the UDOH website and apply for their card. Some providers will start to do this step in the office, but not much is known of the system yet.
At this point in time a $15 charge is estimated for the cost of the actual card. It will take up to two weeks for the patient to receive their card. Therefore, if you are a patient already with a recommendation and apply for your card on 1 March, you will not have access to purchase any Medical Cannabis in Utah until at least 15 March, plan accordingly.
Here is a link to an article about the dispensaries. Utah did a good job of spreading those dispensaries out and keeping the number low, although some disagree with the privatization of the cannabis pharmacy system. Many of the companies that own a dispensary are local growers or are Utah residents.
No dispensaries are open in Utah yet. And they will not open until March or later of this year. There will be a total of 14 dispensaries, scattered throughout the state to make sure everyone has availability of product. This means you may need to travel to Nevada, Colorado, or another legal state to obtain your marijuana and return to Utah with it. There are certain legal considerations to know about this.
For example, it is still federally illegal to travel across state lines with marijuana, but there is little enforcement and prosecution of this in small quantities that are allowed by Utah law. I obviously don’t condone breaking the law, and I also know this is a tough situation for patients to be in.
Patients will be required to show valid identification and an official Medical Marijuana Card issued from the Utah Department of Health to enter dispensaries. No observers or medical providers will be allowed in the pharmacies unless they are themselves medical cardholders.
No flames or food! Patients cannot smoke a joint, use a bong or bowl, or have brownies, cookies, or candy edibles in Utah. There are no established benefits of using a flame to combust the marijuana for inhalation when you can use an electric vaporizer to warm the product and get more medical value and a better entourage effect from the Terpenes and different cannabinoids in the plant.
Here are more information on various leading vaporizers, such as Pax or Davinci.
From a medical standpoint, there are few reasons to bake cookies or brownies in order to get the medication ingested. Patients can simply use a liquid suspension with a dropper.
Raw cannabis flower WILL BE AVAILABLE in dispensaries; blister packs will likely not be needed after this legislative session. This is the list of legal product types you can have and use in Utah:
PATIENTS MAY NOT SMOKE MARIJUANA (NO JOINTS), MAY NOT BUY EDIBLES – CANDIES, COOKIES, BROWNIES ETC. IN THE STATE. THESE ARE NOT PERMITTED UNDER THE LAW.
92% of patients will use Utah Medical Marijuana for pain, according to this graph based on users. Marijuana can be very beneficial to pain patients as it is synergistic with opioids, meaning it works well together and allows people to use fewer narcotic medications. Lower dose narcotics are always safer for patients.
You can read more about examples of patients with pain in this article that I wrote last week.
Growers and producers in dispensary owners are busy working on good products. I met with one of the growlers from Zion cultivars last week and discussed strain types and possible product combinations that will be available in the first dispensaries to open in Salt Lake City.
Proper Hempco.com has been working on a formulation of 2.5 mg THC/10 mg CBD for some of my patients who require a micro-dosing or very low-dose sensitization protocol. These will be very good for new users because it will keep the psychoactivity or “hi “to a minimum. There were previously no ultra low dose products being developed for Utah.
I encourage all providers to help patients find the lowest possible therapeutic dose of THC for all conditions and all patients, based on current best practice guidelines.
In early February I will be interviewing with the I Am Salt Lake Podcast. Subscribe and support this local podcast and learn more about what we are working on.
February 12th at 6:00 pm, in partnership with Salt Lake Culinary Education Center, UtahMarijuana.org is hosting a provider information session for medical providers and staff to come and learn more about cannabis as a medicine and how to navigate deciding whether or not to recommend Utah Medical Marijuana Cards in practice.
I will discuss best practices and clinically Useful information. We will go through a typical patient visit, what to expect as a medical provider, what the patient should expect from you. We will go through some simple guidelines to follow, and I will provide resources on how to get more information from me.
This discussion is not associated with the Utah Department of health and there is no CME available for attending. This is strictly to get patients and providers the best possible clinical information to keep people safe and educated. I believe we need to listen to each other and listen to patients in order to do this well.
Throughout the month UtahMarijuana.org will be putting out articles on the most common conditions that cannabis is helpful for and guidelines for users to learn how others have reduced prescription medication.
We are very excited to work with guest writers including legal counsel, clinical pharmacy, and nursing contributors in the next few months. A diversity of viewpoints will make this project much more usable for you as a reader.
Please be careful. Personalized education, dosing, and delivery recommendations are a key part of having a good relationship with marijuana medicine. Plant-based medicine is complex and requires a thoughtful approach from both the provider and the patient. There is no substitute for good medical advice from a caring medical provider.
This is an exciting time to be a patient and a provider in Utah. We are certainly at a turning point in medicine and I am happy to be a part of it with you and for you.
I am very excited to have been invited to I am Salt Lake podcast. I hope they will release my interview sometime in February 2020. I encourage all of you to like their Facebook page and subscribe to the podcast in anticipation!
Finally, I am also excited to bring you recorded interviews with real patients suffering from injury and illness who have found Medical Marijuana to be a useful tool in regaining control of their lives. I hope to bring you at least one of these interviews per month, with unique perspectives.
All in all I hope you see that this is a comprehensive project, it is very exciting and I look forward to working with each and every one of you. As always, please leave comments and suggestions below, like us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
I Am Salt Lake Podcast has invited me to come interview with Chris and Krissie Holifield in early February! Please like their Facebook page and subscribe to the podcast! I am super excited to have this opportunity. Subscribe to the email list for updates as I have more info!
February 12th or 20th we will be having a local meeting for prospective Qualified Medical Providers (QMPs) to discuss best practices and clinical information to help you with medical marijuana evaluations and treatment guidelines. We will have an attorney on-site to answer questions about some of the legal issues surrounding this issue. I am also reaching out to a clinical pharmacist for specific condition dosing guidelines.
This will be a great opportunity for you to come and learn about marijuana medicine, best practice guidelines, the new law, dispensaries, and safety information. Comment below or reach out to me if you have specific questions you would like answered. I will do my best.
We are very excited to work with guest writers including my own attorney, clinical pharmacy, a local nurse, and another QMP in the next few months. We believe that a diversity of viewpoints will make this project much more usable for you.
Finally, I am also excited to bring you recorded interviews with real patients suffering from injury and illness who have found medical marijuana to be a useful tool in regaining control of their lives. I hope to bring you at least one of these interviews per month. Join the email list to get these delivered directly to you.
All in all, I hope you see that this is a comprehensive project, it is very exciting and I look forward to working with each and every one of you. As always, please leave comments and suggestions below, like us on Facebook and Twitter!
It has been somewhat confusing for patients in Utah who would like to discuss Medical Marijuana with a doctor, PA, or NP because the Utah Medical Cannabis Card system is not up and running, dispensaries are not open yet, but Medical Cannabis is already legal. And then there is this weird feeling you get when you think about talking (out loud) about a drug that you grew up thinking was harmful, illegal, addictive, and terrible.
First, take a look at the list of qualifying conditions. You can also call our office or go to my previous article and look over the qualifying conditions. Anxiety and depression, insomnia, migraines, and glaucoma are NOT qualifying conditions in Utah, even though they can be treated in other states.
Pain greater than 2 weeks, not controlled with standard treatment – Persistent Nausea – Alzheimer’s – Crohn’s disease – Ulcerative Colitis -Cancer – ALS -Cachexia (weakness &/or weight loss due to illness) – HIV or AIDS – Epilepsy – Seizures – Persistent muscle spasms – Multiple Sclerosis – PTSD – Terminal Illness – Rare Condition or Condition you feel should be evaluated by the Utah Compassionate Use Board
The vast majority of patients will use pain as a complaint. This has been the case in all other states Medical Marijuana is legal. Utah defines pain qualification as the following.
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.
For example, a patient has a metal plate in their arm after surgery three years ago and the metal plate causes long-term pain. Ibuprofen and Tylenol do not work well and the patient did physical therapy after the surgery but is still left with some ongoing pain. This pain obviously is longer than two weeks and conventional medications are not effective. In my opinion, This patient would qualify for a Medical Cannabis Card.
I have discussions with orthopedic surgeons who agree that any of their knee replacement or hip replacement patients would qualify even before surgery because their pain is greater than two weeks and because it will require surgery to fix. Even if ibuprofen and Tylenol help the pain, the fact that they need surgery proves that “conventional” medical treatment is not effective for their condition and “physical interventions” did not work.
It gets trickier when the patient has a toothache for three weeks, takes Norco, which helps, but Tylenol does not. Technically this will qualify, but many providers will still not recommend in this case.
This patient has painful migraine headaches, they come on every two-three weeks, last about a day and a half, but the medication they are prescribed does not really help, and this drug is the second one they have tried. The condition has been bothersome for over a year. Do Migraines qualify? No, they do not. But do they qualify for the PAIN associated with the Migraines? Yes.
Translation: The pain is bad and affects life enough that the patient is asking for help from a PA, NP, or doctor.
The Migraine patient has a Pain Disorder (as defined above) because she has pain in her head (anatomical site), she is seeking help (clinical attention), it causes her to miss work or otherwise affects her life, and the pain is not faked (feigned).
If you still don’t know that you would qualify or you are just plain scared about it, please please call me at 801-851-5554 and let’s talk about it. I grew up in Utah and I think I know the feeling. Also, contact the clinic and we will send you a secure form for health questions. Please do not send health information in an email.
Now you can find a provider (hopefully me), and make an appointment. Try either going online to my calendar or calling 801-851-5554.
Once you schedule you will instantly get an emailed link to the secure intake form and consent, and be able to confirm the appointment with your deposit. The total cost of the evaluation and recommendation is $250 paid by credit or debit card at your visit. There is no deposit.
Come prepared to talk about marijuana, cannabis, weed, pot, ganja, hashish, tincture, oil, creams, joints, bongs, dabs, wax, resin, and anything else you want to talk about. Yes, we are comfortable with the whole process and we want you to be too. Destigmatizing Medical Cannabis for you is part of this process.
You should also bring any medical records if we requested to confirm your diagnosis for the qualifying condition.
If you qualify and we decide together that you would like to try Medical Cannabis for your condition, you will get a letter from me THE SAME DAY that will allow you to legally possess and use cannabis in Utah.
After March 1st, Utah requires a 30-day follow-up visit after the initial recommendation. This is included with our initial cost, but may not be with other doctors. Check with your doctor before you go!
Medical Cannabis Cards in Utah expire after six months. We will send you a reminder one month before it expires to remind you to confirm a renewal visit. Many times the renewal will be offered via telemedicine (zoom video chat). Please note that telemedicine visits are subject to availability and are offered under limited circumstances. Call us at 801-851-5554 to ask about arranging a telemedicine visit.
While you are in ultimate control of what you use and how you use it, we also include education and expertise with delivery methods (oral, inhaled, cooked, creams, tinctures) and dosing help. In my opinion, you should be wary of those that are not willing (or able) to discuss this with you. Don’t you think your medical provider should know a lot about what they are recommending?
You can always get more information at UtahMarijuana.org and join the email list below to get education about cannabis in your email inbox.
Now you know a little more of what to expect with a Utah Medical Marijuana Card evaluation and hopefully, this made you feel a little more comfortable with the process. Please comment below if you have questions or need clarification on anything!
Please visit our dispensary page for a map of all operating Medical Cannabis Dispensaries in Utah.
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The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) initially announced 14 Utah medical marijuana dispensary licenses. We previously wrote about the gap between Medical Cannabis recommendations and actually using cannabis in Utah earlier in the year. News outlets in Utah including KSL also wrote articles about the UDOH dispensary announcement, publishing the locations and businesses that received approval.
As of August 2021, the following Utah Medical Marijuana dispensaries are open to serve patients with Utah Medical Marijuana cards or recommendation letters:
711 S State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 413-6945
https://www.dragonflyut.com/
wellness@dragonflyut.com
Listen to our conversation with Dragonfly Wellness founder Narith Panh here.
Listen to our conversation with Dragonfly wellness associate Vanessa Tall here.
1991 S 3600 W
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
(385) 212-0088
https://beehivefarmacy.co/
info@beehivesown.com
Listen to our conversation with Beehive Farmacy founding partner Bijan Sakaki, here.
10392 South Jordan Gateway
South Jordan, UT 84095
(385) 249-9400
https://www.blocdispensary.com/dispensaries/south-jordan-ut
Hello@blocpharmacy.com
3775 S Wall Ave
South Ogden, UT 84405
(385) 289-1800
https://perfectearthutah.com/
contact@truenorthofutah.com
2150 N Main, Suite 1
North Logan, UT 84341
(435) 554-1444
https://perfectearthutah.com/
contact@truenorthofutah.com
870 West 1150 South, Suite C
Brigham City, UT 84032
(435) 919-0966
info@beehivesown.com
https://beehivefarmacy.co/
580 W 100 N Suite 1
West Bountiful, UT 84010
(801) 695-4480
https://www.wholesome.co/
hello@wholesome.co
Listen to our conversation with two of the minds behind WholesomeCo Cannabis, Chris & Richard, here.
Listen to our conversation with WholesomeCo Cannabis pharmacy agent Pedro Padilla-Martinez here.
Listen to our conversation with WholesomeCo Cannabis pharmacist Mindy Madeo here.
222 N Draper Ln
Provo, UT 84601
(801) 872-7447
https://www.deseret-wellness.com/
DeseretWellness@gmail.com
Listen to our conversation with Deseret Wellness pharmacist Josh Fitzgerald here.
Listen to our conversation with Deseret Wellness marketing president Jeremy Sumerix here.
3633 N Thanksgiving Way
Lehi, UT, 84043
(385) 338-8010
https://curaleaf.com/utah/curaleaf-ut-lehi/info
info.ut@curaleaf.com
484 South 1750 West
Springville, UT 84663
(385) 327-0922
https://gocannabist.com/location/springville/
info@gocannabist.com
757 S 1040 W
Payson, UT 84651
(385) 404-4422
https://www.pure-utah.com/
info@pure-utah.com
1351 Kearns Blvd STE 110-B
Park City, UT
(435) 252-1052
https://www.deseret-wellness.com/
Info@deseret-wellness.com
301 S. Main Street
Cedar City, UT 84720
(435) 244 4485
https://bloomut.com/
info@bloomUT.com
1624 S Convention Center Drive
St. George, UT 84790
(435) 216-3400
https://www.blocdispensary.com/dispensaries/st-george-ut
Hello@blocpharmacy.com
Utah Medical Marijuana dispensaries can only sell Medical Cannabis products to registered cardholders (letters expired 12/31/20). For help getting your card, our Medical Marijuana clinic, Utah Therapeutic Health Center, can help you find alternatives to your prescription medications for pain management and other qualifying conditions. Reserve an appointment here.
Don’t forget to browse our blog for more helpful info like what a Medical Cannabis pharmacy is like and how to find your just-right dose. For more about Utah Medical Cannabis pharmacies, visit our dispensary page.
Have a recommendation for Medical Marijuana from a qualified medical provider in Utah? Then you can use cannabis legally. Yes, Prop 2 was passed by the voters in Utah in 2016 and the government passed H.B. 3001 the Utah Medical Cannabis Act shortly thereafter. You need to have one of the qualifying medical conditions and must have the cannabis in an appropriate form and quantity.
In 2016 Utah voters passed Proposition 2 (Prop 2) essentially legalizing Medical Cannabis (marijuana) for use by qualified patients in Utah. This spurred the legislature and other influential groups, led by the Utah Patient Coalition, to negotiate a new law to give patients access to Medical Cannabis. Three years later, The Utah Department of Health is almost ready to open the doors of the first private cannabis pharmacies (dispensaries) and issue Medical Cards! They have been working very hard for you to get the medicine that the voters decided you deserve.
But wait! People still have so many questions and the Utah system is not completely built out yet. Patients are still having trouble finding providers willing to recommend cannabis and there is still very little education out there on how and what to use, what the science is, and where to go to find information. That is why Utah Patient Coalition works closely with the Utah Department of Health to help simplify the basics and answer some of the most common questions people ask.
Right now there are very few qualified medical providers in Utah that are willing to recommend cannabis to their patients. Also, Insurance won’t cover the medical visit or the cannabis product so people will have to pay out of pocket for everything. There are more patients in need than willing providers and patients do deserve providers who are educated and helpful.
There are 15 Qualifying Conditions (26-61a-104) in the current law that will allow you to keep and use cannabis.
First, you must find a willing provider in Utah to see. There aren’t many so don’t be afraid to call the Utah patient coalition for assistance or call your doctor and see if they can refer you to a cannabis specialist. To my knowledge, there are very few, but slowly growing number in the Salt Lake Valley. Some already have a reputation as “marijuana mills.” Most are lacking in education and may just be ready to make money on the new and emerging Utah cannabis market.
Because no one in medicine has any formal training in Medical Cannabis, you should try and find a provider that has some type of qualification. Look for a member of national organizations, like the Society of Cannabis Clinicians, or the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association. Many doctors in Utah only treat pain patients, so a call to their clinic to confirm your eligibility is a good idea.
Comment below if you would like UtahMarijuana.org to compile a list of Utah cannabis doctors and rank them based on conditions treated and special qualifications!
You will need to get and bring a copy of the records from your existing doctor’s office that shows you actually have the qualifying condition. Otherwise, most providers will not be willing to recommend a Medical Cannabis Card. Some offices allow this information to be uploaded before your visit to make sure you qualify.
As a patient, you should be seeing a doctor, PA, or APRN that is knowledgeable and helpful and who cares about you getting the best information for your complaint. Ask around and get a recommendation for a good cannabis provider that knows about dosing and delivery systems for your condition. Sometimes it’s worth driving a little way in order to see someone good.
Between Medical Cannabis Recommendation and Actually Using Cannabis in Utah is an article that will guide you through the next steps of Utah Medical Cannabis. Once you get a recommendation, then you have a couple of choices in Utah now.
You can choose to transport cannabis from a recreational state like Colorado or Nevada to Utah. This is federally illegal, but growing your own plant (many are 8’ tall) is difficult and could be against the law in your area. The new dispensary in Wendover, Nevada is open now.
You could also wait until March 2020 and get an official Medical Card to shop at one of the local cannabis pharmacies (dispensaries).
I’d love to hear your comments on where you think the dispensaries are needed as well.
I went to a qualified medical provider, brought my medical records, got a recommendation for Medical Marijuana, and now I have a recommendation letter, but there is nowhere in Utah to purchase cannabis! What do I do?
Congratulations on navigating the early cannabis system in Utah. Medical Marijuana is legal for you right now, but under a transition clause in the law and no dispensaries will be operational until at least March 2020.
That means all “legal” cannabis must be transported across state lines from Nevada or Colorado or could be flown in from Washington, California, or another state that has legalized marijuana. This transport is both widespread and is federally illegal under any circumstances, however. The “most” legal way to possess is to grow your own, but plants can get 8’ tall and are difficult and time-consuming to grow. Good medical-grade cannabis is highly technical to produce.
There were approximately 130 dispensary applications submitted prior to the deadline of December 3, 2019, and any day now there will be 14 dispensary awards announced. Subscribe below to be the first to know where those dispensaries will be opening!
There is limited information out there on what will be required to get into the dispensaries and what types of products are offered. UtahMarijuana.org has relationships with the best growers and producers and they have informed us that there may be some dispensaries with a limited supply of certain medical-grade products, especially early in the process.
That means for a few months, you may need to travel to specific dispensaries to buy cannabis. But the Department of Health is working hard with producers to make sure everyone has access to what patients need.
Based on what Utah has published and what other states require, you will need to apply for a Medical Cannabis Card through the Utah database once your doctor/provider has entered your approval into the system. It will likely cost around $50 for the card fee with the State.
Remember to bring a government-issued ID and cash to your visit. Dispensaries will not take credit or debit cards because cannabis is still federally outlawed. All products will need to be paid for with cash; every dispensary I have been in out of state has an ATM in the back for you if you forget.
Here are the types of products you can expect to buy in dispensaries in Utah. The law focuses on medical forms of products so remember you will not be able to buy “edibles.” I know there will not be brownies, but the “liquid suspension” could include liquid formulations you can drink.
Raw cannabis flower WILL BE AVAILABLE in dispensaries; I have confirmed that with growers. This is the list of legal product types:
PATIENTS MAY NOT SMOKE MARIJUANA (NO JOINTS), MAY NOT BUY EDIBLES – CANDIES, COOKIES, BROWNIES ETC. IN THE STATE. THESE ARE NOT PERMITTED UNDER THE LAW.
If you weren’t interested so far, this might boggle your mind. I will make this brief and write a more detailed post for those interested. But you should know that your recommending provider needs to know enough about your condition and Medical Cannabis to recommend the type and dose you should be taking. If not, you will need to call or meet with a state-registered physician or pharmacist, who has access to your records, to decide on how much you can take and yes, how much you can buy.
You can buy up to a one-month supply based on those recommendations. For example, if your provider recommended no more than 40mg of THC per day, then you would qualify to purchase 1,200 mg of THC in one go. Only a few of you will run into a state cap on purchases.
Utah allows you to possess no more than 56 grams by weight (2 oz.) of unprocessed cannabis flower; or a number of cannabis products that contain, in total, no more than 10 grams (10,000mg) of total composite THC. To put this in perspective, I recently saw a lab breakdown of the highest THC content in a strain that I have ever encountered. It came in at 32% THC dry weight. To simplify, 1 gram (1,000 mg) of this dry cannabis flower has 320mg of THC in it. So you could legally possess 31 grams (1.1 oz) of this strain. Although this particular strain would be considered a “unicorn,” you should at least consider this when buying Medical Cannabis at any dispensary.
Another popular way to use cannabis is by vaporizer cartridge or tincture. With the vaping lung scare of 2019, vaping concentrates has become less popular, but the ease of use, dosing accuracy, immediate effect, and discrete nature without odor make vaping the most prevalent delivery method for cannabis
You can possess no more than a one-month supply of up to 113 grams with no more than 10 grams of total composite THC. Cartridges can be 90% THC so a 1 gram cartridge can have 900 mg of THC. Therefore you could own 11 of them.
So, a patient may not transport more than that or have more than that in their possession. And it must be in medicinal dosage form, which means in one of the forms listed above.
We know what to expect with card registration, possession, and use of Medical Cannabis in Utah. We also know how much cannabis you can legally possess and in what form.
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