Utah Medical Cannabis Qualifying Conditions

The 15 Listed Conditions

Under Utah Code § 26B-4-201, a Utah-licensed Recommending Medical Provider (RMP) or Limited Medical Provider (LMP) may certify a patient who has been diagnosed with one of the following:

1. HIV or AIDS
2. Alzheimer’s disease
3. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
4. Cancer
5. Cachexia (severe wasting)
6. Persistent nausea — excluding pregnancy-related, cyclical-vomiting, and cannabinoid-hyperemesis nausea
7. Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
8. Epilepsy or debilitating seizures
9. Multiple sclerosis or persistent and debilitating muscle spasms
10. PTSD, when actively treated and monitored by a qualifying mental-health therapist
11. Autism with documented self-harm behaviors
12. Terminal illness with a life expectancy of less than six months
13. Hospice care
14. Rare disease — per the NIH definition (fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States)
15. Persistent or chronic pain, defined as pain lasting two or more weeks for which an opioid would otherwise be a treatment option, OR acute surgical pain or pain from a documented condition

Some post-amendment readings of the statute also count autoimmune disorders treated with immunosuppressives as a separate qualifier, putting the count at 16. The CMC operates from the 15-condition framework in patient education materials.

A patient may receive a medical cannabis card to treat a condition listed in Utah Code §26B-4-201. The Compassionate Use Board may also recommend treatment for a non-listed condition that, in the Board's judgment, would be appropriately treated with medical cannabis.

Utah Code §26B-4-201

What Patients Actually Qualify Under

Per the CMC’s March 2026 monthly "active conditions" report, Utah’s medical-cannabis program is, in practice, a chronic-pain program:

The Persistent-Pain Definition

The pain qualifier is the broadest but is not unlimited. Statute defines "persistent or chronic pain" as either:

• Pain lasting two or more weeks for which an opioid would otherwise be the standard prescription, OR
• Acute pain from surgery or a documented condition.

Acute-pain certifications produce a 30-day card — designed for post-surgical use rather than ongoing treatment. Standard chronic-pain cards follow the normal 90-day / 6-month / 12-month renewal ladder described on the how to apply page.

The PTSD Provider Rules

PTSD is the only condition with a heightened provider requirement. The certifying RMP or LMP must verify that the patient is being actively treated and monitored by a qualifying mental-health therapist. Eligible therapists include:

• A VA provider (any modality)
• A psychiatrist (MD or DO)
• A psychologist holding a doctorate or master’s degree
• A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) at the master’s level
• A psychiatric advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)

The Compassionate Use Board (CUB)

The CUB is a Utah-specific feature of the program. It can:

• Approve non-listed conditions — when, in the Board’s judgment, the condition would be appropriately treated with medical cannabis.
• Approve patients under 21 — every minor patient must be approved by the CUB, regardless of qualifying condition.
• Provide oversight — review difficult or unusual cases.

CUB petitions add processing time — up to 90 days versus the 15-day standard for listed-condition adult cards.

Autoimmune as a Possible 16th Condition

A 2021 amendment to the Utah Medical Cannabis Act added language about autoimmune disorders treated with immunosuppressives. Some readings treat this as a separate qualifier (yielding 16 conditions); the CMC’s patient education materials operate from the 15-condition framework. Patients with autoimmune conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis on immunosuppressive therapy should ask their RMP about the current interpretation.

What Is NOT on the List

• Anxiety as a stand-alone diagnosis (PTSD covered with mental-health-therapist requirement)
• Depression as a stand-alone diagnosis
• Insomnia
• Migraines (may qualify under pain or CUB)
• Opioid use disorder
• Fibromyalgia as a stand-alone diagnosis (may qualify under pain)

For Research-Backed Information

For evidence-based summaries on how cannabis may affect specific conditions, see TryCannabis.org’s conditions guide. Always consult your treating physician.

Next Steps

• If you match a listed condition, see how to apply.
• If your condition is not listed, consider the CUB petition pathway — processing up to 90 days.
• Compare costs at cost & renewal.