Meet the Utah Patients Coalition: The Advocates Behind Utah's Medical Cannabis Program
If you've gone through the process of getting your Utah medical cannabis card, you've benefited from years of work by an organization you may have never heard of: the Utah Patients Coalition (UPC).
Who Is the Utah Patients Coalition?
UPC has been advocating for Utah patients since 2017 — in fact, they're the reason medical cannabis is legal here at all. UPC filed the original ballot initiative that led to the creation of Utah's Medical Cannabis Act, and they've stayed active at the state capitol ever since, working directly with lawmakers to protect and expand patient access.
Their mission comes down to one core belief: patients deserve access to safe, effective, natural treatment options, and they deserve to make their own informed health decisions without unnecessary obstacles in the way.
What Have They Changed for Patients?
A lot, honestly. Some of the protections UPC has helped bring to Utah patients include:
- Conditional cards for terminally ill patients, so they can begin shopping at a pharmacy while their card is still processing
- Acute pain cards, a 20-day card option for patients recovering from surgery or a procedure
- Simplified caregiver background checks, so a designated caregiver only needs one background check to be approved
- Legal protections for firefighters to use cannabis 12 hours before a shift
- Faster, HIPAA-compliant verification system access, which helps cut down wait times at the pharmacy counter
- Ongoing work on a therapeutic psilocybin pilot program (SB200), exploring plant medicine access beyond cannabis
None of these changes happen overnight, and none of them happen without patients and advocates showing up, year after year. UPC has quietly been doing that work for a long time.
Helping Patients Afford Their Medicine
Medical cannabis isn't covered by insurance, and UPC recognized early on that cost is one of the biggest barriers standing between patients and the treatment they need. That's why they run a patient subsidy program — funded by local Utah businesses — to help offset the cost of medical cannabis for patients facing financial hardship, housing instability, or a terminal illness.
Beginning on August 10, our neighbors across the street, Dragonfly Wellness will be bringing back their Round-Up program to directly support the UPC. The UPC Round-Up Program gives patients the option to round up $1, $3, or $5 at checkout to help a neighbor in need. It's a small, quiet way for the local pharmacy community to pitch in. It's part of a bigger commitment: Dragonfly Wellness pledges over $200,000 annually to UPC, making us proud, long-standing partners in this mission.
Other Ways UPC Supports Patients
Beyond policy work and the subsidy fund, UPC offers a range of free resources for Utah patients, including:
- A statewide directory of licensed medical cannabis pharmacies and qualified medical providers (QMPs)
- A plain-language New Patient FAQ and breakdown of the Medical Cannabis Act
- Patient stories and educational pamphlets
An Action Center where you can contact your legislators directly about issues that matter to you
You can explore all of it at utahpatients.org, or reach their team directly:
- Email: info@utahpatients.org
Phone: 435-932-0633
We're Grateful They're Here
Patient advocacy is easy to take for granted until you need it. Whether you're brand new to Utah's program or you've been a cardholder for years, UPC has been working behind the scenes to make your path a little easier. We're glad they're part of this community, and we hope you'll take a moment to see what resources they offer.
Questions about your medical cannabis card or renewal? Reach out to your Utah Grown care team — we're happy to help.
If cost has ever been a barrier for you, UPC's subsidy program may be worth looking into. You can learn more or apply directly at utahpatients.org/upsp