It is amazing to realize how far Utah’s medical cannabis program has come in just five short years. When lawmakers were first drafting the rules that would eventually become our program, few expected to see the monumental growth we now know has taken place. And the latest numbers from the state are very good. They show that medical cannabis is alive and well in Utah.
Things are good across the board. Eligible patients continue to apply for medical cannabis cards in record numbers. Producers keep growing the plants processors need to create medicines and medical cannabis pharmacies, like Beehive Farmacy, continue meeting patient needs at the retail level.
Patient Numbers Approaching 100K
There is so much good news in the latest numbers, we don’t know where to start. Nevertheless, we’ll begin with the number of active cardholders. As of the end of March 2025, the number of patients with active medical cards stood at 97,935. That is an amazing number.
You might remember that initial estimates, when Proposition 2 first passed in 2018, suggested fewer than 10,000 people would sign up for their cards. We are fast approaching ten times that initial estimate.
Increased numbers are a positive sign on several fronts. First, the data shows that more people are being helped by medical cannabis than ever before. Second, it indicates that we are doing an excellent job educating people about the availability of medical cannabis to treat their conditions. Finally, the increased numbers suggest that Utah residents are becoming gradually more accepting of cannabis as a medicine.
Nearly 1K Qualified Medical Providers
We are also pleased to report that the latest numbers show nearly 1,000 active qualified medical providers (QMPs) in Utah. The exact number is 978. That is pretty impressive when you consider how difficult it was to recruit medical providers to become QMPs during the first year or two of the program.
Things were so challenging back then that lawmakers instituted the limited medical provider (LMP) program to give patients access to more doctors, advanced practice nurses, and podiatrists who could recommend medical cannabis.
Those new to medical cannabis and Utah might wonder about the difference between QMPs and LMPs. QMPs have completed continuing education courses to be certified by the state. They can recommend medical cannabis to a volume of patients equal to 1.5% of the total number of active cardholders. LMPs have not been certified, and they can only recommend medical cannabis to up to 15 patients at a time.
Growers Keep on Growing
Kudos to the growers who keep medical cannabis processors and pharmacies well stocked. The numbers from March are very impressive. Last month alone, growers produced over 11,000 plants that translated into more than 10.3 million grams of medical cannabis biomass.
That is a lot of plant material available to processors who turned it into medical cannabis vapes, concentrated oils, tinctures, edibles, and topical applications. If it were not for the hard work of the state’s growers, medical cannabis would be harder to come by in the Beehive State.
We’re Going Strong, Too
We want to close by reminding our readers the Beehive Farmacy is going strong, too. Our locations in Salt Lake City and Brigham City continue to serve patients with high quality medical cannabis products, assistance from our pharmacy agents, and qualified medical advice from our staff pharmacists.
Medical cannabis continues to grow in Utah. The numbers suggest it has a bright future. If you’ve been diagnosed with an eligible medical condition, perhaps it’s time to look into getting your own medical cannabis card.
