Opponents (including many we feel we should expect better of) – claim the Utah Medical Cannabis Initiative (#UMCI) is a radical, overly expansive proposal – even compared to other legal states.
The Utah Medical Association (#UMA) is the “spear point of the attack,” making dramatic negative claims about the UMCI and its supporters.
The Utah Patients Coalition (#UPC) on the other hand states that the UMCI is among the most conservative – if not THE most conservative program of any that’s been approved.
There is an objective answer as to who’s right, and – spoiler alert – it’s NOT the UMA.
Americans for Safe Access (#ASA) has prepared an 187 PAGE report evaluating every aspect of every state’s laws – and if you dig in you’ll see it shows that the UMCI program will clearly be among the least expansive – in hundreds of ways.
Meanwhile, after four years of waiting on the legislature to come up with a plan to meet patients’ needs, Utah is still one of 16 states receiving a grade of F (see page 141).
This track record doesn’t exactly engender trust that elected officials are likely to get anywhere soon left to their own devices… …and gives telling context to Rep. Brad Daw’s claim that with his “right to try if you promise to die” law that Utah is now somehow “in the happy middle.”
…”F” is not a grade in the middle, Representative….
We therefore ask the #UMA to review ASA’s document and either retract their claims – or provide references as to why they won’t. Please note that UMA’s own press release had ZERO documentation.
Bottom line, the UMCI doesn’t allow nearly all many advocates would want compared to other states.
And it most absolutely and certainly is not “a gateway to recreational cannabis for Utah.” Opponents are trying to get Utahns to think the program is something it isn’t with these claims, and so change the terms of debate to be about recreational rather than medicinal cannabis.
For our part, with whatever reach our words have, we will resist letting them stage the wrong debate. The UCMI is first, foremost and ONLY focused on medicinal cannabis. And that is the basis on which it needs to be judged.
TRUCE and other orgs stand ready to work with legislators to iron out any ambiguities in the #UMCI if passed by voters – before implementation – while noting that any that may exist are also being highly exaggerated by people looking to find something… …anything… …about the measure to demonize.
In sum, we’re not buying these “goes too far” claims and this whole deceptive and untrue “almost recreational” line of attack … at all.
Are you….??
TRUCE… …we’re not mushroom keepers… …that is, we’ll never keep you in the dark and feed you bull…
…So can all participants participating in the discussion tell you the same with a straight face??
Note: TRUCE is a proud ASA Affiliate.
#MMJ #UTpol #UtahNext #TRUCE
See full article – american-safe-access.s3.amazonaws.com
