SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mormon church leaders are calling for Utah lawmakers to pass medical-marijuana legislation by the end of the year even as they urge people to vote against an insurgent ballot measure that would legalize it.
The Deseret News reported Sunday that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leader Jack Gerard says there’s urgency to allow suffering patients to access the drug, but the plan on the November ballot doesn’t have enough restrictions.
But Governor Gary Herbert says it’s too early to gather lawmakers to consider an alternative. Spokesman Paul Edwards says he typically calls a special session only when there is a “near consensus,” and there’s a long way to go on medical marijuana.
Advocates decided to go to the voters after years of unsuccessfully pushing for broader legalization at the conservative legislature.
