No to Medical Marijuana for Utah

[moksha]

The LDS Church has released a list of ‘legal issues’ in regard to Utah’s medical marijuana initiative compiled by their law firm Kirton McConkie.

• 1. Marijuana is a hot drink which warms the belly!

• 2. Marijuana was not valiant during the Heaven War.

• 3. Marijuana was cursed with green leaves.

• 4. If allowed, medical marijuana should only be used sparingly.

There was some disagreement among the attorneys at Kirton McConkie as to whether sick people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps after one of the paralegals pointed out that hospital gowns do not have bootstraps. That issue is still under review.

https://www.sltrib.com/pb/news/health/2 ... -oppose-it

[Hagoth]

Surveys show that 77% of Utahns support legalization of medical cannabis. If this law fails to get enacted it will be purely because of interference by LDS church leadership.

[jfro18]

Surveys show that 77% of Utahns support legalization of medical cannabis. If this law fails to get enacted it will be purely because of interference by LDS church leadership.

Which also would prove that as much as members protest the idea, they will blindly follow any instruction given by prophets who only speak as prophets until they are contradicted shortly thereafter.

[Hagoth]

Surveys show that 77% of Utahns support legalization of medical cannabis. If this law fails to get enacted it will be purely because of interference by LDS church leadership.

Which also would prove that as much as members protest the idea, they will blindly follow any instruction given by prophets who only speak as prophets until they are contradicted shortly thereafter.

Yeah, we saw how that works when so many people got on board with the November policy as soon as Russell Nelson upgraded it to a revelation.

[wtfluff]

Isn't it interesting that LDS-Inc. doesn't have the "resources" to investigate rape allegations against a former mission president (still in good standing within the Corp.), yet they've got plenty of "resources" to produce a "legal" document (which looks a lot like a gaslighting document) to try and influence politics in Utah?

Funny how this looks a bit like another social (medical?) issue where LDS-Inc. will be on the wrong side of history.


Bottom line: If you live in Utah, and don't buy in to the Theocracy, get out and vote.

[No Tof]

After July this year y’all can head up I-15 to the great white north to get legal MJ.

PLEASE NOTE: travel to Canada should not be attempted after October by any other then the hardiest of stock.

Plus your dollar is seriously at an advantage here.

[BlackMormon]

The church has a lot of power in the legislature. Whenever a new law is to pass that goes against what the church wants or if it affects its marketing or business plans in anyway, it will voice its still small voice to lawmakers. In other words, "We are not in favor of this BUT, if you want to go against our will, you are going against Jesus..." Mormon legistlators get a guilt trip like that and end voting in favor of what the church wants.

Let's not forget about the $$$$ involved in the use of medicinal marijuana and all the investors in and outside Utah that would love to get the pot business rolling in this state. There would be no shortage of users, that's for sure. Young and old. I think the church is concerned because the next step once medicinal marijuna is approved would be to try to legalize it like in Colorado.

It's big business and one that the church could not get involved in, control or influence. I am sure the church doesn't a Bishop using medicinal marijuna.

I personally don't care one way or the other. I am sick and tired of institutions and people trying to tell me what is right or what THEY approve. I do what I want.

[moksha]

PLEASE NOTE: travel to Canada should not be attempted after October by any other than the hardiest of stock.

It would be terrible to go all that way and find out everybody was in their winter sleep cycle until April. Just hope they left did not consume all the maple syrup in preparation for the hibernation.

[1smartdodog]

Medical marijuana is a farce. The vast majority of people using it are out for a buzz not some pain relief. If not so they would just give you a brownie prescription to take to the pharmacy.

I am opposed to most all drugs that alter your mood or behavior except in cases of real mental illness. They are another sign of a weakening society looking for an escape from reality. A vigorous exercise plan will do more. Boot straps indeed.

[jfro18]

Medical marijuana is a farce. The vast majority of people using it are out for a buzz not some pain relief. If not so they would just give you a brownie prescription to take to the pharmacy.

I am opposed to most all drugs that alter your mood or behavior except in cases of real mental illness. They are another sign of a weakening society looking for an escape from reality. A vigorous exercise plan will do more. Boot straps indeed.

My mom just started using it a few months ago - in the chewable gummy variety. She had a really rare cancer and then had Guillain-Barré syndrome from a flu shot that left her paralyzed and now she is trying to do therapy to walk on her own again.

Long story short, the insane chemo treatments for her cancer (triple hit lymphoma), bone marrow transplant, and then year of hell with the Guillain-Barré left her in a lot of pain and her appetite was so bad she was losing weight consistently for almost 2.5 years.

So they gave her the medical marijuana to help the appetite and pain... it has worked so far. It's not a magic pill, but it's helped her to eat and gain weight and has helped a little with pain relief too.

I'm not saying it's the be all end all, but I would say that for some people it really does help. And if a doctor can be a part of making sure that it is used properly, than why would you not want people to have the option? Painkillers can screw up people's moods just as muscle relaxers or anything else.

The church is once again on the wrong side of an issue because the science and advances go against their mindset that is still stuck in a sexist, racist time where they only trust science when it promotes faith and fits the script.

[Archimedes]

Come to the Pacific northwest where you can walk into your local dispensary like an adult and buy whatever cannabis product you would like. (Limit 1 oz per day).

People who don't smoke pot will never understand it. Do me a favor though and don't regurgitate the anti-marijuana propaganda of the 1950s.

[Thoughtful]

Medical marijuana is a farce. The vast majority of people using it are out for a buzz not some pain relief. If not so they would just give you a brownie prescription to take to the pharmacy.

I am opposed to most all drugs that alter your mood or behavior except in cases of real mental illness. They are another sign of a weakening society looking for an escape from reality. A vigorous exercise plan will do more. Boot straps indeed.

A friend of mine uses CBD, marijuana gummies, and lotions for her chronic fatigue and fibro. She can actually function sometimes now, had been bedridden.

My brother uses vape cbd for his anxiety and it's been fewer side effects vs medications. He uses it on occasion, instead of daily medication and is much happier.

Daughter's bball coach's father uses it, not sure what form, for nausea during chemo.

It's legal in my state. We have seen an influx in kids bringing it to school. Legalizing isn't without problems. But I'm also seeing people get real relief, and it's pretty cool to watch.

[RubinHighlander]

Surveys show that 77% of Utahns support legalization of medical cannabis. If this law fails to get enacted it will be purely because of interference by LDS church leadership.

Seems to me that just like same sex marriage, it will take a higher court outside of Utah to get MJ legalized. The COB has a history of giving in to the Feds, ever since they seized the Church's assets to force them to give up polygamy. The problem MJ faces is that the Feds could take years to accept it. We need to elect Kevin Spacey as president!

[RubinHighlander]

Medical marijuana is a farce. The vast majority of people using it are out for a buzz not some pain relief. If not so they would just give you a brownie prescription to take to the pharmacy.

I am opposed to most all drugs that alter your mood or behavior except in cases of real mental illness. They are another sign of a weakening society looking for an escape from reality. A vigorous exercise plan will do more. Boot straps indeed.

I've recently had two friends go through cancer treatment and end of life management. I've seen first hand the benefits of using MJ over opiates for pain management and compensation for appetite decrease. This is not just a recreational drug; it has real medical benefits and it's a real threat to big pharma. Boot straps are all fine and dandy unless your body is being ravaged by cancer or some other debilitating disease. I'm not saying there's a majority out there who want it legalized for recreational use, but there's also a lot of people suffering who could use it and be much better off than they would be with the addictive and destructive crap that big pharma offers. Utah is one of the highest on the list for folks that abuse prescription opiates.

It would be an interesting to know the breakdown of the demographics of those that support it in Utah. Are they opiate addicts? Sick people? Lower income? There's a lot of assumptions that could be made. The friends of mine that used it when they were sick were upper middle class TBM folks. Another friend of mine just found out his dad, who retired as a church CES instructor, has about three months left because of pancreatic cancer. My friend is considering a trip to CO to pickup some edibles for his dad to help him with his end of life pain management.

I'm not dissing smartdog for his stance on drugs vs. exercise, but I don't think that blanket statement works in the situations I've seen.

[moksha]

I have to admit that I feel bad for all the cancer patients and other sick people who could benefit from medical marijuana. Imagine if you or a loved one were unable to keep any food down, but an effective and well-proven treatment to allow you to eat with a modicum of dignity was denied to you. I wish the Brethren did not feel compelled to take a stand against the wellbeing of these sick people.

[jfro18]

I'm not going to say that MM is the be all end all for patients, but I will say that it has a legit medical use that can not only help people feel better, but literally save their lives.

My mom has been on non-stop medication since her cancer diagnosis now about 3 years ago due to the treatment of the cancer along with the whole flu shot paralyzing episode.

Those medications take their toll on your organs - so not only do they not cure the pain completely, but they mess with so many crucial body levels. So the MM allows her to slowly ween off the traditional medication which helps her body to recover a bit from the addiction/tolerance/side effects of taking them for so long.

Again - I know MM isn't for everyone nor is it a magic cure, but to deny it over religious reasons when it needs to be prescribed by a doctor is just foolish. So many prescription drugs are abused by people in Utah or anywhere else, so let's not pretend that MM is the only one that has the potential to be misused. That's beyond ignorant.

[moksha]

Years ago when Utah was considering one of its many alcohol regulations for private clubs I remember suggesting that concerns could be assuaged by requiring patrons to sing the full first verse to Come Come Ye Saints before being admitted to the club.

Perhaps having the patients also sing Come Come Ye Saints before picking up their prescriptions could help satisfy Church concerns.

[EternityIsNow]

“I preached to a large congregation at the stand, on the science and practice of medicine, desiring to persuade the Saints to trust in God when sick, and not in an arm of flesh, and live by faith and not by medicine, or poison; and when they were sick, and had called for the Elders to pray for them, and they were not healed, to use herbs and mild food.”
-- Joseph Smith

Documentary History of the Church, Volume 4, p. 414.

[Rob4Hope]

“I preached to a large congregation at the stand, on the science and practice of medicine, desiring to persuade the Saints to trust in God when sick, and not in an arm of flesh, and live by faith and not by medicine, or poison; and when they were sick, and had called for the Elders to pray for them, and they were not healed, to use herbs and mild food.”
-- Joseph Smith

Documentary History of the Church, Volume 4, p. 414.

Yeh yeh....JS needs to learn to have faith NOT to be healed...

[Rob4Hope]

Interesting thread.

You know, I read something a while ago, and if true, its quite a compelling argument. I think in Europe,...the UK if not mistaken,...a law was passed to legalize a bunch of drugs. What happened was expected, but then unexpected: the usage rates shot right up; however, after a little time passed, the usage rates declined almost back to base. You see, out of exploration, people purchased and used; but as time passed, and the novelty as it were, things settled down. So, it was concluded that those who were users still were users; those who were not users maybe tried, but ended up being not users...

Saw a VERY compelling TED TALK. https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_e ... n_is_wrong

The man's conclusion was the opposite of addiction is not sobriety,...its connection.

I think pot should be legalized completely for medical use, and for using it for fun. What gives us the right, as people, to dictate what is morally right and wrong, especially when you CAN USE POT recreationally and not harm anyone.

And just for the record,...I am not a user.