News of the initiative – and actual signature gathering – is spreading around the state.
*Advocates are well advised to remember that getting 10% or more of the signatures of qualified voters from the smallest counties is just as important to qualifying for the Nov. ’18 Election as a mighty reception along the Wasatch Front…*
Here’s a more in-depth than usual feature article from the Southern Utah focused paper, The Spectrum. It focuses first on a caretaker’s story and second, delves into the some of the specific provisions of the initiative.
While generally informative, we take real issue with one paragraph in the story:
“A majority of residents regard smoking marijuana as a deleterious drug habit that negatively affects brain function. Limited scientific research as well as decades of worldwide social perceptions support the idea.”
First, we know of no poll that supports the first assertion, at least not one attributing such a specific characterization of voters’ feelings as to why many oppose full legalization, i.e., a patent stretch of what could be know, and not separating people’s feelings about medical vs. personal use.. .
Second, the “limited scientific research” the paper is citing is based on data released by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) – a federal government-sponsored group within the purview and guidance of the DEA, an agency which recently had to change its own claims about cannabis after a successful lawsuit to force it to do so..
TRUCE has cited evidence in recent months showing much of RMHIDTA’s “research” is shoddy and misleading. Further, their reports have been refuted in detail by Colorado, in a report backed up by the state’s extensive ongoing monitoring of many aspects of the state’s programs. Washington State has similarly contested allegations coming from another regional HIDTA.
See: http://ift.tt/2vm62Dy for Governor Hickenlooper’s response to US Attorney Sessions about the low quality of such allegations.
With that said, there’s still much of interest in the article.
#MMJ #RMHIDTA #STG #UTpol #Initiative
See full article – Signature drive pushes for medical marijuana vote
