Utah governor signs off on changes to medical marijuana program

Randy Gleave, general manager at Tryke Companies Utah, talks about the 900 marijuana plants growing around him at the company’s medical cannabis cultivation facility in Tooele on Jan. 30. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Friday signed a bill adjusting the state’s medical cannabis law that assures the system can begin helping patients Monday. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law last-minute fixes to Utah’s medical marijuana program.

“This bill makes needed adjustments and clarifications to Utah’s medical cannabis law. These changes will help us ensure that Utah patients have the best possible access to cannabis products as our new program rolls out on Monday, March 2,” Herbert said in a statement Friday.

Among larger changes, SB121 clarifies that private employers don’t need to allow marijuana use and requires the raw marijuana flower to be packaged in sealed containers with a 60-day expiration date that marks when it becomes illegal, rather than blister packs.

The bill sailed through the state Senate Monday and was passed by the house Thursday.

Bill sponsor Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, has said the changes weren’t urgent but will help the program run more smoothly when the first dispensary opens Monday.

One challenge to getting the program up and running has been getting doctors on board to recommend marijuana to patients, and the bill is meant to address that issue by doubling caps to the number of patients to whom a doctor can recommend marijuana from 300 to 600 for doctors approved by the program.

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