Needless to say, the marijuana debate in Utah has been taken down a rough and rocky road over the past couple of months. Back in October, the Mormon Church announced its support for medical cannabis, only to shoot down a piece of legislation (Proposition 2) despite the positive outcomes it would reap for members of the pro-marijuana community. Regardless, lawmakers ditched this plan in favor of another, which passed during the midterm election, but this new law only tightens its grip on the little green plant’s availability. Now, the State of Utah is being confronted by a pro-cannabis duo of groups that have accused lawmakers of undermining a law that could make unnecessary changes to a proposition. Let’s take a closer look at the situation and find out.
Call for Revisions
In a recent letter, the advocacy groups requested that an upcoming special Legislative session should be canceled as part of a compromise (pre-election) between the pro-marijuana groups and lawmakers to reach an agreement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church). Sent by Rocky Anderson (an attorney) for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education (TRUCE) and the Epilepsy Association of Utah, the letter has directly confronted the Mormon Church of clashing with this measure and trying to interfere with politics. In a recent statement, Anderson explained that the religious leaders lost and should accept these consequences.
Control of the Church
In retort, Doug Anderson (spokesman for the Mormon Church) defended that the faith was completely behind the decision to develop a safe plan for medical marijuana. In a recent interview, Anderson also added that the Church has eagerly worked with members from the medical community and legal community to do what is best for the residents of Utah. Ultimately, the Mormons believe they are acting in the direct interest of the children.
Special Session
According to the Utah Patients Coalition, the special session on December 3 is intended to prevent more radical edits to the measure. However, the Mormon Church had directly opposed this new legislation out of fear that it would promote broad use of the little green plant. Based on teachings, the members of the Church have always criticized weed due to the “Words of Wisdom,” codes of conduct which prohibit the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and (of course) illegal substances. So what else could clash with the pro-cannabis advocate’s move? Almost 2/3 of the Utah population belongs to the Mormon Church.
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