Utah Marijuana Laws

If you’re a resident of the Beehive state (or plan on visiting soon) and you happen to consume cannabis, you’ve probably asked yourself the following very important question: what do Utah marijuana laws look like?

While Utah marijuana laws have been notoriously strict for decades, medical marijuanas in Utah became legal in 2018 under the Utah Medical Cannabis Act. Recreational marijuana in Utah still remains illegal, with Utah weed laws being some of the most severe nationwide. 

So, is marijuana legal in Utah? 

Medical marijuana, yes. Recreational marijuana, no. 

Whether you’re visiting Utah or it’s your permanent home, understanding Utah marijuana laws is important for improving access to legal Utah medical marijuana and avoiding trouble when it comes to strict Utah possession limits. 

Here we’ll take a deeper look at Utah marijuana laws to help you better understand everything you can about Utah cannabis consumption.

Utah Marijuana: What You Need To Know About Medical and Recreational Cannabis in the Beehive State 

So, is marijuana legal in Utah? 

As a particularly conservative state, consuming marijuana in Utah has always been a bit risky. 

Although the state passed medical cannabis laws back in 2018 and you can safely consume cannabis if you have a Utah medical marijuana card, recreational weed is a different story. 

Is recreational marijuana legal in Utah? 

Not at all. If you want to smoke weed for pleasure in Utah, proceed with caution. Utah laws don’t take kindly to recreational cannabis consumption. 

If you get caught with less than an ounce of illegal herb, you run the risk of a $1,000 fine and could face up to six months in jail. Anything over an ounce lands you over a year behind bars. 

Utah residents that qualify for medical marijuanas in Utah, however, can safely consume cannabis once attaining their medical cannabis card. Wondering how to get a medical marijuana card in Utah? Keep reading to learn more. 

Utah Medical Marijuana: How To Get A Medical Marijuana Card In Utah

Utah medical cannabis legislation passed in November 2018. 

Qualifying medical conditions under medical Utah marijuana laws include:

• • ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Autism
  • Cachexia (wasting syndrome)
  • Cancer
  • Crohn’s disease 
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Epilepsy (or a similar condition that causes “debilitating seizures”)
  • Multiple sclerosis (or debilitating and persistent muscle spasms)
  • Nausea (must be continual)
  • Pain (must last longer than two weeks and can’t be effectively managed with other treatments) 
  • PTSD (must be currently treated or monitored by a licensed mental health therapist) 
  • Terminal illness (with a life expectancy of fewer than six months)
  • Any medical conditions that require hospice care
  • Any rare condition affecting less than 200,000 people as outlined by Section 526 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) that can’t be effectively managed with other treatments

If you have any of the above conditions and are wondering how to get a medical marijuana card in Utah, there are a couple things you need to know. 

You must be at least 18 years of age to legally access medical marijuanas in Utah. Patients with a qualifying condition between 18-21 years of age must seek approval from the Compassionate Use Board, even with physician approval. 

To qualify for legal Utah marijuana under state medical laws, a medical provider registered to recommend MMJ must approve you. Once they approve you, you can then apply online. 

Adult patients over the age of 21 can expect approval in 15 days or less from the time they submit their application. For patients under the age of 21, the application review process will be completed in 90 days or less from when the application was submitted. 

What Are Utah Medical Marijuana Laws Like?

You must purchase all medical cannabis products in Utah from a licensed Utah marijuana medical pharmacy. There are currently 15 licensed pharmacies approved by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 

Even though marijuana in Utah is legal for medical use, Utah possession limits are relatively low compared to other legal medical marijuana states. Patients can possess a 30-day supply of medical marijuana products or up to 113 grams of unprocessed cannabis flower. 

Product options are also somewhat restrictive compared to other medical marijuana programs. Under Utah marijuana law, medical cannabis patients are allowed the following products:

• • Tablets
  • Capsules
  • Concentrated oils
  • Topical preparations 
  • Transdermal preparations
  • Sublingual preparations
  • Gelatinous cube
  • Unprocessed cannabis flower in a blister pack that contains no more than 1 gram of flower pods per individual blister 

Utah marijuana laws prohibit the use of smoking medical marijuana flower. You read that right. Utah is one of the only medical marijuana states that doesn’t allow patients to smoke their medicine in dry flower form. 

Vaping is legal, however. 

Utah prohibits other types of cannabis products such as candies, cookies, brownies, and other edible products.

We weren’t kidding when we mentioned that marijuana in Utah is governed by some of the strictest rules in the country.

Can you grow weed in Utah under current medical cannabis legislation? 

Is marijuana legal in Utah to grow for medicinal purposes? 

No. 

Although cultivation was included and approved in the original Utah Medical Cannabis Act, replacement legislation that rewrote the bill to eliminate the option of home cultivation was approved on December 3, 2018. 

Utah strictly prohibits the cultivation of medical marijuana. Growing medicinal cannabis in Utah is punishable in the same way as growing weed for pleasure. 

Illegal cannabis cultivation in the Beehive State is punishable per Utah possession limits. Anyone caught growing weed at home in Utah can face some very serious consequences: 

• • Possession/Cultivation of less than 1 ounce is a class B misdemeanor and punishable with a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment and maximum fine of $1,000.
  • The possession/Cultivation of up to 1 ounce – 1 pound is a class A misdemeanor and is punishable with a maximum sentence of 1 year imprisonment and maximum fine of $2,500.
  • Possession/Cultivation of 1 pound – 100 pounds is a third-degree felony and punishable with a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment and maximum fine of $5,000.
  • Possession/Cultivation of over 100 pounds is a second-degree felony and punishable with a maximum sentence of 1-15 years’ imprisonment and maximum fine of $10,000.

Is Marijuana Legal in Utah If You Have An MMJ Card From Another State?

If you’re a medical marijuana card holder from another state, you might ask the following: “Is weed legal in Utah if you have an MMJ card in another medical marijuana state?”

Yes, but only under two specific conditions: 

• • You must have a valid medical marijuana card from your state of residence. 
  • You must meet one of Utah’s medical marijuana conditions. 

If you have a medical marijuana card from California for migraines, for example, you won’t qualify to legally possess medical cannabis in Utah because migraines aren’t a qualifying condition. 

As an out-of-state visitor, you cannot purchase medical cannabis from any licensed Utah dispensaries. These are only accessible to Utah medical marijuana patients. 

Marijuana in Utah DUI Laws

The Beehive State strictly prohibits driving under the influence of marijuana. The following are reasons individuals may get a marijuana DUI in Utah:

• • They are unable to safely operate the vehicle or show signs of intoxication. 
  • They test positive for any amount of marijuana or marijuana metabolites (including trace amounts of THC or THC-COOH in their system). 

Under Utah law, an individual can receive a marijuana DUI regardless if they were intoxicated at the time they were pulled over. Marijuana metabolites can show up on a drug screen for up to a month after consumption. This means it’s possible to be convicted of a DUI in Utah up to four weeks after last consuming cannabis. 

Can Utah Medical Marijuana Patients Have Caregivers? 

Yes.

Utah medical marijuana patients can have up to two caregivers. 

These caregivers may purchase, transport, and/or assist the MMJ patient with their allotted dosages. 

Click here to learn more about the Utah medical marijuana caregiver registration process. 

Stay Up To Date On Utah Marijuana With Elevate Holistics

Is cannabis legal in Utah? 

Yes, but only for medical use under specific qualifying conditions. Recreational cannabis laws in Utah remain exceptionally strict, making it vital to follow current cannabis legislation by the book. 

At Elevate Holistics, we understand how strict cannabis laws can seem encumbering. This is why we’re here to help you better understand everything you need to know about making the process of attaining your medical card as simple as possible. 

Our mission is to provide patients with the safest, most helpful path when beginning their medical cannabis journey.

Click here to learn more about what we do and how we make it simple for you to get started on the path of natural living.