Robert Celt
New Member
After fighting for — and obtaining — narrow passage through the Utah Senate, a controversial medical marijuana bill will not advance to the House of Representatives.
A Health and Human Services committee voted 8-4 not to send SB 73, sponsored by Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, to be debated and voted on in the House.
The same committee chose to send a revised version of competing legislation, Senate Bill 89, sponsored by Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, to the House.
The revised version of SB 89 was introduced to the committee by Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, in an attempt to blend the policy of SB 73 with the regulatory structure of SB 89.
The two medical marijuana bills have been competing ever since they were introduced in the Senate, with SB 89 being considered ultra-conservative, and SB 73 covering more conditions and allowing for a broader range of cannabinoids, including the controversial THC.
The revised version of SB 89 would allow for doctors to prescribe CBD oils and specialists to prescribe products with THC.
But advocates of SB 73 say the amendments to SB 89 would help some patients, but isn't broad enough to help all the people who need it.
"There's no pill, no medication that can help everybody, and for them to say a 1:1 ratio (of CBD to THC) is going to help all these patients is asinine," said Christine Stenquist, president of Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education.
Madsen tried to assuage the committee's concerns with the regulatory framework in his bill, citing strict requirements on packaging, plant identifiers and advertising.
He also argued that his bill left important decisions up to physicians and patients rather than a legislative or regulatory agency.
"This is exactly the kind of decision we want to leave in the hands of the physicians," Madsen said, citing a portion of his bill that allows doctors to prescribe marijuana if the patient is in danger of becoming addicted to opioids.
But his arguments weren't enough for the committee, who also heard opposing testimony from organizations such as the Utah Academy of Family Physicians, who had concerns about the lack of studies showing how marijuana would interact with other medications.
Committee member Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, made a motion to table Madsen's bill, effectively killing it for this legislative session. Ray argued that the job of the committee is to weed out which bills should be heard by the House, and the committee had already sent one medical marijuana bill through.
"The committee has already decided that Senate Bill 89 is the best one," Ray said.
The committee adjourned before officially voting to table the bill, but at this point, it is unlikely the bill will be voted on in the House this year.
Advocates of SB 73 still have the option of gathering 50 signatures from House members — a two-thirds majority — to have the bill brought out of the committee and heard before the House.
That's a daunting task with a bill that made it out of the Senate with barely more than 50 percent of the vote.
"We likely do not have the support of 50 people in the house, so we are still weighing our options," said Connor Boyack, president of Libertas Institute and strong advocate of SB 73.
Patients who have advocated strongly for Madsen's bill have long promised to bring a modified version of Madsen's bill to a vote in the November general election if SB 73 does not pass through the Utah Legislature.
Stenquist has repeatedly said throughout the process that she would prefer to legalize medical marijuana through the legislative process, but said after the third year in a row of failing to pass adequate legislation, she and many others are tired of failing.
"I feel like it's three strikes, and you're out," Stenquist said.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Utah House Committee Approves One Medical Marijuana Bill, Second Fails
Author: Katie England
Contact: Daily Herald
Photo Credit: Spenser Heaps
Website: Daily Herald
A Health and Human Services committee voted 8-4 not to send SB 73, sponsored by Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, to be debated and voted on in the House.
The same committee chose to send a revised version of competing legislation, Senate Bill 89, sponsored by Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, to the House.
The revised version of SB 89 was introduced to the committee by Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, in an attempt to blend the policy of SB 73 with the regulatory structure of SB 89.
The two medical marijuana bills have been competing ever since they were introduced in the Senate, with SB 89 being considered ultra-conservative, and SB 73 covering more conditions and allowing for a broader range of cannabinoids, including the controversial THC.
The revised version of SB 89 would allow for doctors to prescribe CBD oils and specialists to prescribe products with THC.
But advocates of SB 73 say the amendments to SB 89 would help some patients, but isn't broad enough to help all the people who need it.
"There's no pill, no medication that can help everybody, and for them to say a 1:1 ratio (of CBD to THC) is going to help all these patients is asinine," said Christine Stenquist, president of Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education.
Madsen tried to assuage the committee's concerns with the regulatory framework in his bill, citing strict requirements on packaging, plant identifiers and advertising.
He also argued that his bill left important decisions up to physicians and patients rather than a legislative or regulatory agency.
"This is exactly the kind of decision we want to leave in the hands of the physicians," Madsen said, citing a portion of his bill that allows doctors to prescribe marijuana if the patient is in danger of becoming addicted to opioids.
But his arguments weren't enough for the committee, who also heard opposing testimony from organizations such as the Utah Academy of Family Physicians, who had concerns about the lack of studies showing how marijuana would interact with other medications.
Committee member Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, made a motion to table Madsen's bill, effectively killing it for this legislative session. Ray argued that the job of the committee is to weed out which bills should be heard by the House, and the committee had already sent one medical marijuana bill through.
"The committee has already decided that Senate Bill 89 is the best one," Ray said.
The committee adjourned before officially voting to table the bill, but at this point, it is unlikely the bill will be voted on in the House this year.
Advocates of SB 73 still have the option of gathering 50 signatures from House members — a two-thirds majority — to have the bill brought out of the committee and heard before the House.
That's a daunting task with a bill that made it out of the Senate with barely more than 50 percent of the vote.
"We likely do not have the support of 50 people in the house, so we are still weighing our options," said Connor Boyack, president of Libertas Institute and strong advocate of SB 73.
Patients who have advocated strongly for Madsen's bill have long promised to bring a modified version of Madsen's bill to a vote in the November general election if SB 73 does not pass through the Utah Legislature.
Stenquist has repeatedly said throughout the process that she would prefer to legalize medical marijuana through the legislative process, but said after the third year in a row of failing to pass adequate legislation, she and many others are tired of failing.
"I feel like it's three strikes, and you're out," Stenquist said.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Utah House Committee Approves One Medical Marijuana Bill, Second Fails
Author: Katie England
Contact: Daily Herald
Photo Credit: Spenser Heaps
Website: Daily Herald
