Here at Beehive Farmacy, we love the internet just as much as anyone else. It offers a limitless amount of information covering just about any topic you can think of. But you really need to be careful about what you choose to believe, especially when it comes to medical cannabis. There is a lot of misinformation out there. For example, we ran a random search to learn what the internet says about out-of-state medical cannabis cards.
We found a number of sites claiming that Utah accepts out-of-state cards as long as the cards are valid. Quite frankly, any such claims are incorrect. Utah does not recognize out-of-state cards. Our state does not have a reciprocal agreement with any other states.
Even Possession Isn’t Allowed
One of the websites we ran across states that out-of-state visitors or brand-new residents could legally possess medical cannabis in Utah with an out-of-state card; they just could not purchase any new medical cannabis products. Again, this is wrong.
Utah’s medical cannabis law does not allow bringing cannabis in from neighboring states. And since you cannot purchase medical cannabis in the state without a valid card from Utah, there is no way for you to legally possess it without having said card. An out-of-state card is meaningless.
One last thing to know is that state law requires that all medical cannabis purchased in Utah be purchased through a licensed pharmacy. We operate two such pharmacies in Salt Lake City and Brigham City. We invite all valid cardholders to pay us a visit at one or both of our locations.
Utah’s Medical Cannabis Non-Resident Card
If Utah does not recognize out-of-state cannabis cards, what are temporary visitors to do? Fortunately, the state does offer non-resident cards to qualifying patients with valid cards from their home states. The cards are easy enough to apply for by way of Utah’s Electronic Verification System (EVS).
As you might expect, there are conditions attached:
- A visitor must be treating a condition on the Utah list.
- A visitor’s out-of-state card must currently be valid and active.
- Utah’s non-resident card is only valid for 21 days from the date of issue.
- Visitors can only apply for two non-resident cards per year.
A valid non-resident card allows out-of-state visitors to stop into a Utah cannabis pharmacy like Beehive Farmacy to purchase their medicines. Visitors would still be subject to possession limits according to state law. They also would not be allowed to share their medical cannabis with others.
How to Get a Utah Non-Resident Card
Applying for a non-resident card isn’t difficult. It can take up to 30 days to get approval, so visitors shouldn’t wait until one or two weeks before departure to apply. Here’s what the process entails, step-by-step:
- Create an online account via the UtahID website.
- Create an account on the EVS system.
- Complete the digital application online.
- Submit the required documentation and the attached fee.
That’s it. If approved, the visitor will receive their digital card via email. The card can be printed on paper or stored on the user’s phone. One way or the other, the visitor must bring the card with them when visiting a Utah cannabis pharmacy. Pharmacies are required by law to check a card’s validity irrespective of whether it is a resident or non-resident card.
Be careful with what you read online about Utah’s medical cannabis program. Despite what some websites claim, Utah does not recognize out-of-state medical cannabis cards. To legally purchase and possess medical cannabis in Utah, you need to have a card issued by our state. That’s just the way it is.
