First Utah Medical Cannabis Dispensary Now Open

After the state of Utah became the 33rd state in the U.S. to legalize medical cannabis growth, sales, and use, it was unclear when exactly its residents would have access. Some of that uncertainty can now be put to bed as the first Utah medical cannabis dispensary opened Monday, March 2nd, 2020. The dispensary, Dragonfly Wellness, will open in the state’s capital of Salt Lake City. Another dispensary is expected to open later in March and seven more are likely to be opened by the beginning of summer.

Good News for Utahns

Though surprising to many around the United States, Utahns voted to legalize medical cannabis in November of 2018 and the first patients were permitted to use cannabis with a letter from a physician in December of 2018. Those letters will not expire until the end of 2020, but they still do not grant someone the ability to purchase cannabis products in Utah. To access medical cannabis products in Utah, a resident must receive a recommendation from an approved medical provider.

To make it easier for providers to have the ability to recommend medical cannabis to a patient, Utah has opened up pre-registration of medical providers for the state’s medical cannabis program. Pre-registration as a medical provider during the month of February enables a medical provider to recommend a qualifying patient for receipt of a medical cannabis card in March 2020 when the Utah Department of Health plans to begin accepting medical cannabis card applications online. Medical Marijuana 411 is a licensed provider of medical provider certification in Utah.

The Medical Marijuana 411 Utah Qualified Medical Provider Certification course meets or exceeds the Utah DOH, Center for Medical Cannabis Qualified Medical Provider Continuing Education Requirement, of a minimum of 4 hours of CE to become a registered, qualified practitioner with the Utah Department of Health under Utah Code 26-61a-106 (3). The course is currently on-sale until 4/20/2020 for single providers and for groups.

Utah Medical Cannabis Dispensary Future

The year 2020 will only be the beginning for Utah’s legal cannabis program. It is not a matter of if but when the remaining expected dispensaries open and more patients are able to gain access to medical cannabis in the state. For Utahns, this news is incredibly welcoming. As with any state medical cannabis program in its infancy, there will be kinks to work out but Utah is already clearly making key steps towards progress. The future of cannabis in Utah will be an intriguing story to follow as its new program continues to develop.