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Meanwhile, in Washington reaction to AG Sessions’ ill-considered move to relaunch the Drug Wars has stirred up a broad flurry of action on a whole passel of federal bills, a number of which we feel could be very useful.
And others less so. Possibly considerably less so. The bulk of Utah’s Congressional delegation has signed onto, sigh, one of the latter – Sen. Hatch’s “MEDS” bill, which he introduced some time ago with a flurry of bad pot puns which got him some kudos in the press for a few days.
The problem, however – or rather one of the problems – is that the Utah opponents’ strategy rests on two false premises.
The first false premise you know: “We need to wait for the science, we need more research” (this from the same people supporting the institutions which have thwarted research for decades, e.g., the DEA, FDA and others) – and when in fact there’s more than enough solid research to fully justify the program outlined in the Ballot Initiative. So yeah, more science. Great. Always plenty more to learn.
But not at the cost of keeping medicine away from perhaps 100,000 patients who stand to be eligible here – the way that millions are happily taking advantage of in the 29 legal states.
The second canard isn’t exactly new either (opponents really have no strong arguments, so they keep recycling their old tired rhetoric), but it’s been newly recast by Rep. Daw – that the alternative to endless research is “de facto recreational legalization” – as he tries to blow up a few words in the initiative text into an issue that will never be an issue if the initiative passes.
And the congress people in this article make the same implication in a slightly more subtle way by saying that while they “support research” they’re against recreational cannabis.
Hmmm. Someone needs to tell these folks, and our friend, Rep. Daw, that “recreational” or personal adult use cannabis – is NOT going to be on any bill or ballot in Utah this year (or any year soon according to polling data).
What’s at stake and what we’re advocating for is a well-regulated, conservatively designed MEDICAL cannabis program to provide safe, legal, affordable access to qualifying patients. Which over 75% of Utahns support.
So please, Reps. Curtis, Bishop, Stewart and Love, and local Rep. Daw, yes, yes, we love research – and we’d also love you to quit muddying the issue by implying a false dichotomy. Give us the CARERS bill instead.
We can have research and medical cannabis at the same time. As in you know, chewing gum and walking. Thank you.
#MMJ #USpol #MEDS #UTpol #PatientsFirst #TRUCE
See full article – Utah Representatives: We don’t support recreational marijuana — but stigma shouldn‘t stall scientific research into its effects
