Is Weed Legal In Utah?

Is weed legal in Utah? Recreationally, no. Medically, yes. Utah’s medical cannabis program allows qualifying patients to use medical marijuana. Whether you’re a resident or a visitor, here are Utah’s weed laws you need to know.

Is Weed Legal for Recreational Use in Utah?

Utah has not legalized marijuana for recreational use. Utah’s conservative lawmakers have resisted recreational cannabis laws over the years.

Possession of less than one ounce of marijuana could land you a misdemeanor conviction with six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. Possession of less than one pound and more than one ounce is a misdemeanor offense punishable with one year in jail and up to a $2,500 fine.

If caught with fewer than 100 pounds and more than one pound of cannabis that is a felony punishable by five years in jail and up to a $5,000 fine. Possession of more than 100 pounds is a felony punishable with one to 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Is Weed Legal for Medical Use in Utah?

Utah’s marijuana laws can be traced back to 1915 when it was one of the first states to outright ban marijuana. It wasn’t until 2014 that Governor Gary Herbert legalized possession and use of low-THC CBD oil for patients with intractable epilepsy. Despite the historic bill, the law made no mention of how patients were supposed to buy the oil.

Utah lawmakers attempted to pass medical cannabis laws in 2015 and 2016 without success. In 2018, the state passed the “right to try” bill allowing terminally ill patients to grow their own weed. Later that year, the Utah Medical Cannabis Act was passed as a ballot measure.

What are Utah’s Medical Marijuana Laws?

Applying for a Medical Cannabis Card

Qualifying patients can apply for a medical cannabis card by meeting in-person with a qualified medical provider, create a Utah ID account, and begin the medical card application process. A medical provider will complete the medical recommendation section. Learn more about the process on the department’s Patients web page.

Application Fee: $15 initial, $5 for first 90-day renewal, $15 for six-month renewal

Qualifying Conditions

Utah’s medical marijuana program is available to patients with one or more of the following qualifying conditions:

• HIV/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 diagnoses 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 on a case-by-case basis

Medical Cannabis Products Available

• Tablet
• Capsule
• Concentrated oil
• Liquid suspension
• Transdermal preparation
• Gelatinous cube
• Unprocessed cannabis flower in a blister pack containing no more than one gram of flower pods in each individual blister
• Wax or resin*

*If a patient fails to substantially respond on two other forms listed, a qualified medical provider may recommend wax or resin.

Smoking cannabis flower is illegal, but vaping is legal.

Possession and Purchasing Limits

Qualifying patients are allowed to possess under 113 grams of unprocessed cannabis or 20 grams of total composite THC in all other medicinal dosage forms.

If a patient’s home is less than 100 miles from a medical marijuana pharmacy or local health department:

In any one 12-day period, patients may not purchase more than the lesser of:

• An amount sufficient to provide 14 days of treatment based on the dosing parameters that the relevant qualified medical provider (QMP) recommends; or
• 56 grams of unprocessed cannabis flower; or
• More than a total of 10 grams of THC in medicinal form

If a patient’s home is more than 100 miles from a pharmacy or local health department:

In any one 28-day period, patients may not purchase more than the lesser of:

• An amount sufficient to provide 30 days of treatment based on the dosing parameters that the relevant QMP recommends; or
• 113 grams of unprocessed cannabis flower; or
• More than a total of 20 grams of THC in medicinal form

Home Cultivation

Home cultivation of cannabis is illegal. Illegal cultivation in Utah is punishable based on the aggregate weight of the marijuana plants found.

Caregivers

Qualifying patients may designate up to two caregivers to purchase, transport, and assist with a patient with medical cannabis treatment.

Medical Cannabis Pharmacies in Utah

In Utah, medical cannabis pharmacies provide qualifying patients with cannabis products. Currently, Utah marijuana laws state that no more than 14 medical cannabis pharmacy licenses may be issued.

Utah only has three cannabis pharmacies at the moment:

• Dragonfly Health and Wellness (Salt Lake City)
  • 711 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
  • 801-413-6945
  • [email protected]
• Perfect Earth Modern Apothecary (North Logan)
  • 2150 N Main, Suite 1, North Logan, UT, 84341
  • 435-554-1444
  • [email protected]
• Perfect Earth Modern Apothecary (Ogden)
  • 3775 S Wall Ave, South Ogden, UT 84405
  • 435-554-1444
  • [email protected]

Desert Wellness, Provo’s first and only cannabis pharmacy, will be opening in late July 2020.

How to Get a Cannabis Job in Utah

Utah’s cannabis industry may be slowly developing, but there are always job opportunities popping up for the right talented individual. Cannabis jobs are available in retail, cultivation, processing, and ancillary industries such as accounting, law, marketing, security, and more.

Many job seekers start off with an entry-level job in their home state. In Utah, look for budtending positions, also known as wellness associates or pharmacy agents, that help patients find the right form of relief for their medical conditions. Budtenders in Utah can make between $13 and $15 an hour.

Pharmacy agents must be at least 21 years of age, pass a criminal background check, and pay an application fee to register.

Cannabis training can give you the competitive advantage you need to stand apart from the applicant pool. Cannabis training gives you a comprehensive insight into the Utah cannabis laws that govern the state’s industry, the science of cultivation, and the effects on the user. For more information on how to get a cannabis job in Utah, check out our blog post.

Utah Cannabis College

Enroll in Utah cannabis college to participate in Utah’s cannabis program and become a viable candidate for one of many jobs available in the industry. CTU provides an affordable and comprehensive cannabis education that can be accessed wherever there’s a wi-fi connection.

Utah students will learn how to grow weed at home, how to cook with pot, how to get a medical cannabis card, how to become a budtender or trimmer at a cannabis company, and so much more. In-depth modules consisting of videos and e-books prepare students to pass a final certification exam.

Earn your place in Utah’s developing cannabis industry by signing up for CTU’s online cannabis training program!