Gov. Herbert comes out against medical marijuana initiative, warning it would open the door to ...

Gov. Herbert comes out against medical marijuana initiative, warning it would ‘open the door to recreational use’


Gov. Gary Herbert came out against a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana for a wide range of patients, saying in a statement Thursday the initiative was too broad and would open the door to recreational use.

He said Utah lawmakers got it right when they passed HB195 and HB197, which he signed, that will allow physicians to recommend marijuana for people who have an estimated six months or less left to live. The state would also contract with a grower and control dispensing of marijuana under rules the Department of Agriculture and Food will begin working on next month.

The ballot initiative would grant access to marijuana to a far longer list of patients. It would also allow for private growing and dispensing, similar to the framework in many of the 29 other states that allow the federally illegal plant for medicinal use.

Backers say the ballot initiative has nearly enough signatures to qualify for the Nov. 6 election.

Read more: https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/03/29/gov-herbert-comes-out-against-medical-marijuana-initiative-warning-it-would-open-the-door-to-recreational-use/