Utah Legislature Passes Medical Marijuana Research Bill, Heads to Governor
Legislation to legalize the research of marijuana for medical purposes has passed Utah’s full legislature.
House Bill 130 – filed by Senator Evan Vickers (R) – was passed by the House of Representatives with a 70 to 2 vote. It was passed by the Senate 23 to 1. It now goes to Governor Gary Herbert who has the option of signing it into law, allowing it to become law without his signature or vetoing it (though if he was to veto it, the legislature could override with a 2/3rds vote).
In addition to allowing research on cannabis medicines, the bill creates a review board that will make recommendations on potential future changes to the state’s marijuana laws.
Opponents of the measure argue that it doesn’t go nearly far enough, and that there is already enough research on cannabis to legalize it as a medicine. Proponents however say it’s the first step towards the state eventually adopting a comprehensive law that legalizes the medical use of cannabis.