“HB 195 [the so-called “Right to Try” bill – which might eventually serve a small number of hospice patients – and which is better called the “Still NO Right for 99% of Patients to Try” bill] and HB 197 [getting the state directly involved in cannabis production] narrowly cleared the House of Representatives and now await action in the Senate, while [the despicable, anti-democratic] HB 471 has yet to be debated in either chamber.
D.j. Schanz heads up the Utah Patients Coalition, the group moving the ballot initiative forward. Schanz likened HB 471 to ‘moving the goal posts in the middle of the game.’
‘To delay implementation for 7 months, I just don’t understand what his MO is. If it’s not to obstruct, I can’t figure out what it is,’ Schanz said. ‘It definitely is poor policy, poor form, and probably won’t withstand a legal challenge.’
Schanz predicts that backers of the other five statewide initiatives heading for Utah ballots will also participate in that litigation.
‘…we think we’re on the right track to getting patients access to medicine,’ Schanz said.
‘Brad Daw is doing exactly what we expected him to do,’ Christine Stenquist of TRUCE said. ‘His legislation isn’t substantive. None of these bills are giving us what patients want and need, and now he’s attacking the initiative process.’
‘How do we have a state-run grow (HB197) and a free-market program (as outlined in the initiative) at the same time?’ Stenquist asked. ‘This is one of the most lucrative industries in this century, and what we see is a lockdown of that. A thriving market is competitive and makes sure we have good product for patients. But (under HB 197) we’ll be stuck with whatever they give us’.”
Daw clothes himself as a “cautious reformer,” but since he won’t work with responsible reform groups, we consider him representative of the opinions of the legislature which lags far behind the general public in being ready to bring medical cannabis to all of Utah’s patients without further “demonstration projects,” and bad cannabis production processes.
Given his attacks on citizens’ ability to mount citizen initiatives – and another equally odious bill, HB225 which will make initiatives harder to mount, we see him more as the antithesis of a reformer.
We still urge citizens to contact their senators before the final votes on these four bills – #HB195, #HB197, #HB471 and #HB225.
To find your Senator visit: http://ift.tt/2mbMCJm
To read these bills visit: http://ift.tt/2Fucqgc
Whatever happens, if the Initiative is on the ballot, patients are still very much in a position to send Rep. Daw – and the entire Legislature – a powerful message this fall.
Much more in the article – Recommended..!
#MMJ #UTleg #UTpol #PatientsBeforePolitics #TRUCE
See full article – Stage set for Utah medical cannabis showdown between ballot measure, lawmakers
