Utah State Senator Jim Dabakis (D-District 2) released a Facebook live video over the weekend of himself in Las Vegas eating half of a cannabis-infused gummy bear in his first-ever cannabis consumption experience.
Sen. Dabakis’ reasoning for the trip, which he expressed during the video, was that “at least one Utah legislator” should have experimented with cannabis before lawmakers begin imposing rules and regulations for the state’s expected medical cannabis program.
He reassured his followers that he had brought a driver for the occasion, that he would spend his time supervised and just lounging in the sun, and that he would not be bringing any leftover gummies with him back to Utah.
In the video, Sen. Dabakis tells the camera that his experiment is a “sacrifice for you, the taxpayers.”
He followed up his first video with updates throughout his experience. After one and a half hours, Sen. Dabakis said he ate the second half of the gummy bear and felt only a “little buzz.”
In a follow-up video posted upon returning home to Utah, Sen. Dabakis said that politicians who are anti-cannabis should try using the substance for themselves.
He also argued that Utah voters should still make sure they vote for Proposition 2 this November, which aims to legalize medical cannabis throughout the state.
“I think … the ‘Reefer Madness’ crowd, you guys — you need to try it. It’s not that big a deal. … I survived, it all went well. So vote for Prop. 2 because if you don’t, trust me, (Utah lawmakers) will either not pass medical marijuana or they will put such poison pills in there that no-one will be able to get medical marijuana — and they’ll say ‘well, you know, the people voted against it.’ So vote for it.” — Utah State Sen. Jim Dabakis, in a Facebook live video
Medical cannabis has become a contentious issue in Utah, where both the Mormon Church and lawmakers in the state capitol have come out against Proposition 2.
Recently, however, it was announced that cannabis advocates, church representatives, and lawmakers had reached a compromise on the medical cannabis issue that would be realized whether Proposition 2 wins or fails this November.
According to polling data from last month, 64 percent of Utah voters support legalizing medical cannabis.