Utah

A 'recommending medical provider (RMP)' is a Utah-licensed practitioner who meets the 'recommending qualifications,' meaning the individual:

• Has the authority to write a prescription under Utah law, AND
• Is licensed to prescribe a controlled substance under Title 58, Chapter 37, Utah Controlled Substances Act

Practitioner types who may qualify as recommending medical providers include:

• Licensed physicians (MD, DO)
• Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) with prescriptive authority
• Physician assistants (PA) with prescriptive authority
• Podiatrists (DPM), limited to conditions within the scope of podiatric practice as defined under Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 5a

A 'limited medical provider' is an individual who meets the recommending qualifications but has no more than 15 patients with a valid medical cannabis card resulting from their recommendations (patients billed to insurance do not count toward this limit). Limited medical providers may recommend cannabis without registering in the EVS, but must conduct a face-to-face visit for initial recommendations and for renewal recommendations where the limited medical provider did not make the patient's original recommendation.

A bona fide provider-patient relationship must be established before a recommendation is issued. Providers should confirm the patient has been evaluated and has a documented qualifying condition.

Registration with the Center for Medical Cannabis is required to recommend medical cannabis through the Electronic Verification System (EVS). Registration is voluntary for providers who wish to submit certifications by paper, but EVS registration allows practitioners to manage patient certifications, enter dosing guidelines, and track patient records online.

RMP registration lasts for 2 years and must be renewed through the EVS. Providers recommending cannabis for up to 15 patients may operate as limited medical providers without EVS registration by submitting paper certifications directly to a licensed medical cannabis pharmacy.

Recommending medical providers may recommend cannabis for up to 1.5% of Utah's total registered medical cannabis patients. Patients billed through insurance do not count toward this limit.

To register as an RMP in the EVS:

1. Create a UtahID account at https://dts.utah.gov/idhelp/account-creation/
2. Complete 4 hours of continuing education on medical cannabis (see below).
3. Log in to the EVS and create an EVS account.
4. Submit an RMP application in the EVS, including your credentials and continuing education information.
5. Once approved, you may use the EVS to submit patient certifications, manage patients, update dosing guidelines, and add RMP proxies.

For detailed registration steps and visual guides, visit Become an RMP.

Initial Education Requirement

Before recommending medical cannabis to their first patient, providers must complete 4 hours of continuing education focused on medical cannabis under. This requirement applies to both the EVS RMP registration and the paper certification pathways. Proof of completion must be entered in the EVS at the time of registration.

For current education resources, visit the Center for Medical Cannabis Providers page.

Continuing Education (CME/CEU)

Recommending medical providers are required to complete 4 hours of medical cannabis continuing education as part of the EVS registration and renewal process every 2 years. Providers may complete any continuing education that focuses on medical cannabis.

Pharmacy medical providers (PMPs) are required to complete approved continuing education.

For current education resources, visit the Center for Medical Cannabis Providers page.

• Acute pain (such as pain following a surgical procedure)
• Alzheimer's disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Autism
• Cachexia
• Cancer
• Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
• Epilepsy or seizures
• HIV or AIDS
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) or muscle spasms
• Nausea that is not caused by pregnancy, cannabis-induced cyclical vomiting syndrome, or cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
• Persistent pain lasting longer than 2 weeks
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), when the patient is concurrently receiving treatment from a licensed mental health provider
• A rare condition or disease as defined by the National Institutes of Health (affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States and not adequately managed by conventional medications other than opioids)
• A terminal illness or condition for which the patient is receiving hospice care, with a life expectancy of less than 6 months
• A condition approved by the Compassionate Use Board (CUB) on a case-by-case basis for patients who do not have a condition on this list or who are under 21 years of age

Step 1: Evaluate the patient.

Conduct an in-person physical examination of the patient for all initial recommendations. Exceptions apply when the patient has a terminal illness, is receiving hospice care, or is in a care facility and cannot travel for an in-person visit.

Telehealth visits are permitted for renewal (follow-up) recommendations for patients for whom you made the original recommendation. 

Confirm the patient has a qualifying condition documented in their medical record.

Step 2: Submit the certification.

If registered in the EVS, submit the patient certification directly through the EVS. You may specify dosing guidelines (types and quantities of cannabis products and monthly purchase limits) or defer dosing guidance to the pharmacy medical provider. If you choose to defer, the patient's pharmacy pharmacist will work with the patient to determine appropriate products and amounts.

If not registered in the EVS, complete the paper certification form and submit it directly to a licensed medical cannabis pharmacy. The paper certification form is available from the Center for Medical Cannabis.

Step 3: Maintain records.

Maintain records consistent with standard clinical documentation requirements and applicable professional licensure standards. Your certification for a patient does not create an obligation to prescribe; it reflects your clinical determination that the patient has a qualifying condition.

Patient cards are valid for up to 1 year. Providers may issue certifications with a shorter validity period of 3 or 6 months for patients who require more frequent follow-up.

For renewal certifications, a telehealth visit is permitted if you made the patient's original recommendation. A face-to-face visit is required for renewal of a patient for whom you did not make the original recommendation, unless the patient has a terminal illness, is in hospice care, or lives in a facility and cannot travel.

Submit renewal certifications through the EVS or via paper certification to the pharmacy, following the same process as for an initial certification.

Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (Title III section 301) which became law on December 2, 2022, and the First Amendment (established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that doctors, and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options).

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