Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
After years of failed legislative attempts to legalize medical marijuana in Utah, supporters submitted an initiative Monday to place the issue before voters in 2018.
The Utah Patients Coalition held a Monday morning news conference at the state Capitol and afterward delivered its proposed initiative to the Utah lieutenant governor's office with patients, caregivers and supporters in tow. If the wording of the initiative is approved, backers must hold seven public hearings throughout Utah and collect 113,143 signatures from registered voters around the state.
The proposed law uses much of the same language as former State Sen. Mark Madsen's SB73, which nearly passed in 2016. If the initiative wins voter approval,smoking marijuana would still be prohibited. So, too, would driving while intoxicated with medical cannabis. And there would be limitations on the number of cannabis facilities allowed and physicians permitted to prescribe medical marijuana.
Topicals, oils, edibles and vaping would be allowed, but no use of medical marijuana could occur in public view. Some of the qualifying illnesses included in the proposed law include Alzheimer's disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and autism.
If voted into law, dispensing in Utah would begin January 2021 and patients would receive their medical marijuana cards January 2020, said Connor Boyack, president of Libertas Institute who personally consulted with the political issues committee (PIC). If the initiative passes but the state fails to implement the system it envisions, the law also stipulates that patients could grow their own marijuana outside of residential areas.
The Utah Legislature in 2014 approved a narrow bill allowing patients with severe epilepsy to acquire cannabis oil and this year passed a bill calling for more research on medical marijuana. But its continued rejection of broader access has provided a dose of reality, said advocate Christine Stenquist.
"We have all seen through this last legislative session that it'll be the same dog and pony show in trying to appease us with something superficial," said Stenquist, president and co-founder of TRUCE, or Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education. "This is our opportunity to finally do something."
Supporters face months of work to get on the November 2018 ballot.
There is no specified amount of time the lieutenant governor's office can take to review an initiative once it is submitted, said Mark Thomas, state director of elections. Review times can vary depending on the length of the wording of the proposed law, the topic and whether the staff needs to request assistance from other offices.
If accepted, the initiative application will be sent to the governor's office of management and budget to create a fiscal estimate of the impact of the law.
After the estimate is complete, organizers must hold seven public hearings throughout Utah before collecting petition signatures.
The number of required signatures represents 10 percent of Utah votes cast in the 2016 presidential election statewide and in at least 26 of Utah's 29 Senate districts.
Signatures for each Senate district must be submitted to the county clerk's office by April 15, which will verify that signatures came from registered voters. DJ Schanz, executive director of the coalition, said it hopes to have signatures collected and filed by Jan. 1 before the Legislature starts.
Schanz said organizers need to raise about $3 million to fund the effort. The coalition raised about a third of that, he said, before submitting the initiative Monday.
Several organizations plan to help with signature gathering, including the social media education group called Utah Residents for Medical Cannabis.
Tremonton residents Debbie and Monte Hoskins, members of that group, expect to use their personal story to help Utahns understand the necessity of medical marijuana.
While living in Colorado, Monte Hoskins tried medical marijuana for a 20-year-old back injury. It helped him cut his opioid intake in half, he said, but he had to quit using it upon moving back to Utah.
"My goal is to plant a seed in their minds about what medical marijuana really does for people, so when they do their own research they will better understand it," Debbie Hoskins said. "And when it comes time to vote for it, even if they don't personally have a need for it, they will allow it to be available for those who do."
Once on the ballot, the initiative needs a majority of votes to pass.
Advocates hoped for legalization in 2016 with two bills that would have set the groundwork for medical marijuana regulation and cultivation. But lawmakers killed the bills in the final hours of the session.
As of April, 29 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico have legalized medical marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, including three of Utah's border states – Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Yes to medical marijuana in Utah, no to smoking it: Here's what Utahns may vote on in 2018 | The Salt Lake Tribune
Author: Kelly Gifford
Contact: Staff - The Salt Lake Tribune
Photo Credit: Chris Detrick
Website: Utah Local News - Salt Lake City News, Sports, Entertainment, Business - The Salt Lake Tribune
The Utah Patients Coalition held a Monday morning news conference at the state Capitol and afterward delivered its proposed initiative to the Utah lieutenant governor's office with patients, caregivers and supporters in tow. If the wording of the initiative is approved, backers must hold seven public hearings throughout Utah and collect 113,143 signatures from registered voters around the state.
The proposed law uses much of the same language as former State Sen. Mark Madsen's SB73, which nearly passed in 2016. If the initiative wins voter approval,smoking marijuana would still be prohibited. So, too, would driving while intoxicated with medical cannabis. And there would be limitations on the number of cannabis facilities allowed and physicians permitted to prescribe medical marijuana.
Topicals, oils, edibles and vaping would be allowed, but no use of medical marijuana could occur in public view. Some of the qualifying illnesses included in the proposed law include Alzheimer's disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and autism.
If voted into law, dispensing in Utah would begin January 2021 and patients would receive their medical marijuana cards January 2020, said Connor Boyack, president of Libertas Institute who personally consulted with the political issues committee (PIC). If the initiative passes but the state fails to implement the system it envisions, the law also stipulates that patients could grow their own marijuana outside of residential areas.
The Utah Legislature in 2014 approved a narrow bill allowing patients with severe epilepsy to acquire cannabis oil and this year passed a bill calling for more research on medical marijuana. But its continued rejection of broader access has provided a dose of reality, said advocate Christine Stenquist.
"We have all seen through this last legislative session that it'll be the same dog and pony show in trying to appease us with something superficial," said Stenquist, president and co-founder of TRUCE, or Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education. "This is our opportunity to finally do something."
Supporters face months of work to get on the November 2018 ballot.
There is no specified amount of time the lieutenant governor's office can take to review an initiative once it is submitted, said Mark Thomas, state director of elections. Review times can vary depending on the length of the wording of the proposed law, the topic and whether the staff needs to request assistance from other offices.
If accepted, the initiative application will be sent to the governor's office of management and budget to create a fiscal estimate of the impact of the law.
After the estimate is complete, organizers must hold seven public hearings throughout Utah before collecting petition signatures.
The number of required signatures represents 10 percent of Utah votes cast in the 2016 presidential election statewide and in at least 26 of Utah's 29 Senate districts.
Signatures for each Senate district must be submitted to the county clerk's office by April 15, which will verify that signatures came from registered voters. DJ Schanz, executive director of the coalition, said it hopes to have signatures collected and filed by Jan. 1 before the Legislature starts.
Schanz said organizers need to raise about $3 million to fund the effort. The coalition raised about a third of that, he said, before submitting the initiative Monday.
Several organizations plan to help with signature gathering, including the social media education group called Utah Residents for Medical Cannabis.
Tremonton residents Debbie and Monte Hoskins, members of that group, expect to use their personal story to help Utahns understand the necessity of medical marijuana.
While living in Colorado, Monte Hoskins tried medical marijuana for a 20-year-old back injury. It helped him cut his opioid intake in half, he said, but he had to quit using it upon moving back to Utah.
"My goal is to plant a seed in their minds about what medical marijuana really does for people, so when they do their own research they will better understand it," Debbie Hoskins said. "And when it comes time to vote for it, even if they don't personally have a need for it, they will allow it to be available for those who do."
Once on the ballot, the initiative needs a majority of votes to pass.
Advocates hoped for legalization in 2016 with two bills that would have set the groundwork for medical marijuana regulation and cultivation. But lawmakers killed the bills in the final hours of the session.
As of April, 29 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico have legalized medical marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, including three of Utah's border states – Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Yes to medical marijuana in Utah, no to smoking it: Here's what Utahns may vote on in 2018 | The Salt Lake Tribune
Author: Kelly Gifford
Contact: Staff - The Salt Lake Tribune
Photo Credit: Chris Detrick
Website: Utah Local News - Salt Lake City News, Sports, Entertainment, Business - The Salt Lake Tribune
