Committee adopts second substitute to refine medical-cannabis program operations and licensing
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Summary
Committee members adopted the second substitute to SB 64, a largely technical package that adjusts licensing processes, adds a courier-license provision, aligns administrative enforcement (letter-of-concern process), and sets a cap on processing facility licenses.
The committee adopted the second substitute for SB 64, a technical bill that proposes multiple administrative changes to Utah’s medical-cannabis regulatory framework.
Senator Vickers, appearing for the sponsor, said the second substitute rescues several technical provisions that had been tied to another bill and moves them into this measure. Key features described by the sponsor included replacing public warnings with an earlier-stage letter-of-concern that does not immediately create a public record if a problem is remedied, adding courier licensing and integrating it with the advisory board, removing a mandatory December board meeting so license renewals can be staggered, requiring HIPAA training for facility employees, and establishing a cap of 18 licenses for medical-cannabis processing facilities.
The sponsor said the letter-of-concern approach mirrors an administrative practice used elsewhere in state regulation and prevents permanently public warnings for remediated administrative issues. The cap on processing licenses is intended to give the state regulatory control over the market as the program expands.
Committee members briefly questioned portability of employee pharmacy/courier cards and the change to background-check timing for owner changes; the sponsor clarified that card portability remains in-state only and timelines were lengthened to allow the department time for background checks.
The committee adopted the second substitute and then voted to pass the measure with a favorable recommendation. Votes were taken by voice; the motion to adopt the second substitute and the motion to pass were approved without recorded roll-call tallies in the transcript.