Utah Medical Cannabis Vote: Utah is facing a roadblock against its studies on the effect of medical marijuana on pain. Its most recent plan has been delayed by the federal government because of its slow approval to ship the necessary supplies to the state researchers.
The study was expected to be completed in March and the delay means its findings won't be available in time for a vital state vote in November.
What's Happening in November?
A successful ballot initiative by the Utah Patients Coalition brought about a vote to legalize medical cannabis in the State and Utahn's will vote on this in November.
However, the study could take 4 months which means the vote will have come and gone before the results are released; results which could help to settle opinions before casting ballots.
This roadblock is not the first time the federal government has been hindering cannabis research and this has led Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, and Democrat Kamala Harris, to speak with U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions urging the obstruction of marijuana research requests to stop.
Lawsuit
It has been a tough road for Utah. Drug Safe Utah — a coalition of medical associations, law enforcement agencies, and religious groups, has been lobbying relentlessly against medical cannabis. This faction also filed a lawsuit challenging the Utah initiative.
The lawsuit was since dropped with reports of the groups claim lacking merit, though Drug Safe Utah attorney, Blake Ostler, declined to say the exact reason to why the group dropped the lawsuit.
He did say though that if the vote passes in November his group will go to court to seek to have it overturned.
Ostler's opinion still stands: “This is a ramrod of people who stand to make billions of dollars to be able to exploit people the same way tobacco growers and opioid manufacturers did,”
>>Massachusetts Approves Recreational Cannabis
The Utahns Approve!
The Utah Medical Cannabis vote would be a milestone step for one of the US's most conservative states. A legal MMJ market would bring with it around 20 licensed dispensaries, as well as cultivators and processors.
Despite all the roadblocks, it seems that the majority of Utahn's are in support of the measure with a recent poll finding 72% in favor of the measure.
Featured Image: DepositPhotos.com/amanalang
