The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has weighed in on the push to put a medical cannabis ballot question to Utah voters next year. In a statement to FOX 13, the church said they believe “that society is best served by requiring marijuana to go through further research and the FDA approval process that all other drugs must go through before they are prescribed to patients.”
“Lawmakers across the country have wrestled with whether to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. This discussion raises legitimate questions regarding the benefits and risks of legalizing a drug that has not gone through the well-established and rigorous process to prove its effectiveness and safety.
During the 2017 legislative session, a bill was passed that appropriately authorized further research of the potential benefits and risks of using marijuana. The difficulties of attempting to legalize a drug at the state level that is illegal under Federal law cannot be overstated.”
The Utah Patients Coalition, the group behind the campaign, declined to comment on the statement, preferring to focus on persuading voters to back the initiative. The coalition filed the ballot paperwork on Monday with the Lt. Governor’s Office and if it is approved advocates can begin collecting the nearly 115,000 signatures required to put the issue to voters.