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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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US: Poll: Utahns support legalization of medical marijuana Billy Hesterman Daily Herald Thursday 29 Aug 2013 A new poll of registered voters has found that Utahns are opposed to the legalization of marijuana for recreational use but are supportive of allowing the use of cannabis for medical situations. According to the poll of 500 random voters, 57 percent of Utahns oppose legalizing marijuana for personal use but 61 percent support allowing individuals to use marijuana if their doctor has prescribed it. "We expected most Utahns to oppose a general legalization of marijuana, but were honestly surprised that a majority of Utah voters indicated support for legalizing medical marijuana. One might think, given the predominant political party and religion, that that wouldn't be the case. Evidently many Utahns have been persuaded regarding the medical benefits cannabis can offer to sick people," said Connor Boyack, president of the Libertas Institute, the organization that produced the poll. Should Utah move in a direction of legalization for medical uses, one Pleasant Grove mom said she would welcome the change. Jennifer May's son suffers from a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome. May said she is not advocating for full legalization of medical marijuana, but she is advocating for a form of marijuana that contains nearly none of the products that cause the "high" recreational users seek from the plant but has many of the properties that will provide relief to her son and may lessen the number of seizures he has. "It creates no high, it is also not smoked," she said. "It is in a concentrated form in an oil. It is administered by mouth through a drop or syringe orally for kids." May explained the medication right now is only available in Colorado and that for her to bring it into Utah would be a federal crime. She hopes, though, that the state Legislature would at least open up the law to allow for this drug to be brought in to potentially provide relief for her 11-year-old son, who suffers five to 30 seizures every day. "It needs to be an option," May said. "We are not saying it is the miracle for everyone but it needs to be an option." Boyack said Libertas and other organizations will push for a legislative proposal to allow for medical marijuana to be allowed in the state. It would seem like an uphill battle for a heavily conservative legislature like Utah's to make a major shift on this policy but Boyack intends to make the case for it in the next session. "It's highly offensive that a lawmaker would stand between a patient and doctor to dictate which medical options can or cannot be pursued. We and other interested parties will definitely be looking to change the status quo," he said. Rep. Brian Greene, R-Pleasant Grove, may be one lawmaker who is ready to consider legalizing marijuana for medical use. Greene said he hasn't given much thought to sponsoring legislation to legalize any form of marijuana, but he said he is open to having a discussion about what the benefits would be for legalization. Greene said in his mind using cannabis for medical purposes was no different than the use of opium for medical purposes. He did note, though, that he would support the usage of cannabis only as an extract in a compound that would be ingested and that he would not support handing out medical marijuana for people to smoke. "I'm talking about allowing it to be prescribed and controlled just like other painkillers," he said. "I am talking about cannabis extract." Among Republicans who took the phone survey 75 percent said they opposed legalization of marijuana for recreational use and only 46 percent of the dominant political party in the state said they would support legalization for medical reasons. The poll also found that only 50 percent of the Mormons who took the poll support legalization for medical reasons. http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/poll-utahns-support-legalization-of-medical-marijuana/article_6491666f-a2f0-55de-b99b-f98e9ba9946c.html?comment_form=true
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