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SALT LAKE CITY — Medical marijuana cards have seen a big spike in distribution in Utah.
A state health department report showed more than 83,000 people had medical marijuana cards by the end of March. That's a 19% year-over-year increase.
Medical director Abby Galloway, from Green Team Doctors, said it's fairly simple to get a card in the Beehive State.
"The state mandates for Utah are that a patient be 21 years of age or older and have a qualifying medical condition, of which there are 15 total," said Galloway.
The two most common medical reasons people get a card are persistent pain and PTSD, according to the report. Additionally, those seeking a medical marijuana card don't always need to provide their medical records.
"Medical records are not required by the state of Utah unless the only qualifying condition for the patient is PTSD," Galloway explained.
"Patients can visit our office in Cottonwood Heights with their driver's license or state-issued ID, and leave that day with a card assuming they meet those two requisites set forth by Utah's Medical Cannabis Act," Galloway said.
The legislation that allowed medical marijuana to be sold to people who get a doctor's recommendation if they have certain conditions, a compromise bill, was passed in 2018. The law tightly controls the drug's sale and use, as well as who can grow and sell it.
Medical cannabis is a growing industry in Utah, generating $138 million in revenue from sales last year.
