A cannabis worker displays fresh cannabis plants that have been trimmed for market at Loving Kindness Farms in Gardena, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
SANDY — The Utah Peace Officers Standards and Training Council has released new guidelines allowing people who apply to the police academy to use medical marijuana and cannabis. But there are some rules applicants will need to follow.
The POST council certifies and disciplines all police officers within the state.
Officers, and those who want to become a police officer in the future, cannot use medical marijuana or cannabis products while on the job.
They will also have to prove they have a legitimate prescription or recommendation from a physician here in Utah or use a product that’s been approved by the state’s Department of Agriculture.
One part of the job application that has not changed is that potential recruits will have to disclose whether they’ve ever used marijuana, legal or otherwise. However, if an applicant admits he used illegally, he may not have to wait two years to reapply since the agency is reviewing everyone on a case by case basis.
Utah voters passed Proposition 2 in 2018 which legalized medical marijuana. The legislature modified the Prop 2, enacting a replacement compromise law, a short time later.