Report: Enrollment Costs a Primary Barrier for Utah Medical Cannabis Patients

A survey published by the Utah Department of Agriculture & Food (UDAF) of 14,600 participants and non-participants in the state’s medical cannabis program found 27% of respondents describing the program’s enrollment cost as a barrier to entry. 

The survey included 7,222 respondents with an active medical cannabis card, 2,770 respondents with an expired card, 959 cannabis consumers that have never registered with the medical cannabis program, and 3,649 individuals who do not use cannabis for any purpose.  

The survey found another 21% said lack of program awareness was a barrier, while 19% said the program’s cost prevented them from participating. Another 18% of respondents had privacy concerns regarding the program, and 17% said registering for the program was too complex. 

“Overall, findings indicate that financial barriers, legal restrictions (e.g., smoking prohibition, home cultivation ban), and limited public awareness significantly impact program engagement. Addressing these issues through policy adjustments and targeted education could enhance access, reduce reliance on illicit sources, and strengthen Utah’s regulated medical cannabis framework.” — 2025 Utah Medical Cannabis Market Analysis  

Among non-cannabis consumers, 26% said they had no interest in participating in the program, while 41% said they did not have a recommendation from a medical provider to participate. Another 40% said they were unaware that the state had a medical cannabis program, 34% said they were unsure if medical cannabis was useful for their medical condition, and 27% said they were unsure if medical cannabis was effective. 

The survey found that among program participants, 98% said they were satisfied with the quality of the products available through the program and 74.5% were satisfied with the program’s accessibility; however, 40% of those that did not renew their medical cannabis card said they declined to do so because of the high product costs, while 33% said they declined to do so because of medical provider costs. In all, 41% of former medical cannabis cardholders included in the survey said they continued to use cannabis medically outside of the program. 

The report notes that the state medical cannabis program, which was established via voter referendum in 2018, neared 100,000 registered cardholders by April 2025 and generated $157 million in sales in 2024.