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SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ position on one of the medical marijuana bills being considered by the Utah State Legislature certainly puts it in a difficult spot.
“Well it makes it more difficult,” Senate President Wayne Niederhauser told reporters on Monday. “I don’t know if I would characterize it as dead on arrival.”
Over the weekend, the LDS Church said it opposed Sen. Mark Madsen’s SB73, which would allow for so-called “whole plant” marijuana use to treat ailments. The Church said it did not oppose SB89, which would allow for a marijuana extract (but opposed by patients and advocates).
The LDS Church holds significant influence on Utah’s Capitol Hill, where a majority of lawmakers are Mormon. The church can weigh in on issues where it has a moral or doctrinal position (and it has on alcohol, marriage, gay rights, immigration and gambling) but a spokesman said it is politically neutral on parties and candidates.
Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, told FOX 13 on Monday he is moving forward with his bill, counting votes and preparing for a debate on the Senate floor that could happen this week. Madsen said he was not altering the language of his bill to appease the LDS Church.
“I don’t seek out things to clash with the church on, but from time to time I’ve had to ask my colleagues to go a different direction than the church lobbyists have told them to go and I’ve been successful in some instances and others not,” he told FOX 13.
Madsen would not say if he had the votes to pass the Senate. A similar medical marijuana bill he ran last year was narrowly defeated.
“I think we’ll have a little bit better margin (than last year). I don’t want to speak out of school. We always work like we’re behind,” he said.
Sen. Niederhauser said he predicted SB89, sponsored by Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, and Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, would pass. He would not predict how the Senate would vote on SB73.
“One of the options is we leave the session with the status quo,” he said. “I guess we’ll see what happens when these bills come up towards the end of this week.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Salt Lake City, introduced a resolution in the legislature urging congress to make marijuana a Schedule II drug, freeing it up for research and medicinal uses. A resolution in the legislature is non-binding.
http://fox13now.com/2016/02/08/lds-church-stance-on-medical-marijuana-makes-it-more-difficult-to-pass-senate-president-says/
Anti Stoners…. LDS….hmmmm.
Maybe they should think about it.
Look at all the ranch land they could grow hemp and weed..!
C’mon LDS ‘ers get your sht together.
Before some internationals steal your land and do it.
By the way… Mr. Smith smoked weed.
How do you think he channeled your book with a bag over his head?
‘The church can weigh in on issues where it has a moral or doctrinal position (and it has on alcohol, marriage, gay rights, immigration and gambling) but a spokesman said it is politically neutral on parties and candidates’………………..this coming from the cult of many wives?
So a question goes out to Mormons in other States where medical marijuana is legal. Are you considered to be immoral if you use weed for medical reasons ? my guess is NO!
Utah passed a concealed carry bill a few years back and people were exercising their rights of self protection at LDS (Mormon) churches, for a while till whiners asked to ban the practice and finally the Church went to the Legislature and asked to get the law to make guns in Their churches illegal.
It was done as the Theocracy wished and a statement was made to the effect that the rule they made as a church only applied to their churches and properties in Utah,
I attribute this to the fact they control Utah’s Legislature but not other States Legislatures.
Meanwhile the law the Church dictated to Utah Legislature to pass allowed ANY officially sanctioned individual who was part of Government that carried a gun for their job to pack at their churches, from dog catcher on up to FBI! Not a moral issue, but rather a constitutional issue!
“Over the weekend, the LDS Church said it opposed Sen. Mark Madsen’s SB73, which would allow for so-called “whole plant” marijuana use to treat ailments.”
My guess would be they’re heavily invested in pharmaceutical companies.
Please send HELP to Utah. We are prisoners to the will of a theocracy, there is no expression of will by the people. The Enabling act that was agreed to at statehood being granted to Utah states that the form of Government they agreed to was a republican form of government (not referring to the Republican Party). but what we have here is a totalitarian theocracy!
The LDS church is what I would consider being a U.S. Roman Catholic homegrown local Church gang.
They are one of our original American church cults.
They are a force not to be taken lightly.
They will kill you…. period.
Yet I can say they are some of the nicest people I have met in my lifetime. Scary nice.
But once you cross their religious line.
They will kill you like any other Church!