The General
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America's liberalized views on marijuana are wafting into conservative Utah. A new poll for The Salt Lake Tribune shows a slight majority of Utahns, 51 percent, support legalizing marijuana for medical use. But a solid 67 percent remain opposed to decriminalization for recreational use, suggesting the state's not ready for Colorado-style pot sales.
"Utah is just about the last state to do anything, but attitudes are changing," said poll respondent Mike Haechten, of Thompson Springs, a small town near Moab. Growing acceptance of marijuana's medical benefits, whether to provide relief from arthritis pain or to dampen the side effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients, has driven more than 20 states to decriminalize the drug to varying degrees.
Two states, Colorado and Washington, have approved recreational use and national surveys show sentiment tipping in favor of outright legalization. In the fall of 2013 Gallup announced that for the first time in more than 40 years of polling, a clear majority of Americans (58 percent) say marijuana should be legalized. One reason could be changing perceptions of the dangers of weed, a drug once condemned in popular culture for inciting insanity and violence – an extreme example being the cult classic of the 1930s, "Reefer Madness."
Haechten believes the criminal penalties for possessing marijuana have been excessive and the dangers of abuse overstated, causing its medicinal benefits to be overlooked for too long. The 51-year-old has Type I diabetes and wonders if ingestible cannabis preparations would relieve his recurrent stomach aches and limb pain. "I know medical marijuana doesn't help everything, but it's a lesser evil than some of the prescription drugs on the market today," he said. "It needs further study and the [Food and Drug Administration's] stamp of approval."
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Sltrib.com
Author: Kirsten Stewart
Contact: The Salt Lake Tribune - Staff Directory for The Salt Lake Tribune
Website: Poll: Majority of Utahns say yes to medical marijuana | The Salt Lake Tribune
"Utah is just about the last state to do anything, but attitudes are changing," said poll respondent Mike Haechten, of Thompson Springs, a small town near Moab. Growing acceptance of marijuana's medical benefits, whether to provide relief from arthritis pain or to dampen the side effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients, has driven more than 20 states to decriminalize the drug to varying degrees.
Two states, Colorado and Washington, have approved recreational use and national surveys show sentiment tipping in favor of outright legalization. In the fall of 2013 Gallup announced that for the first time in more than 40 years of polling, a clear majority of Americans (58 percent) say marijuana should be legalized. One reason could be changing perceptions of the dangers of weed, a drug once condemned in popular culture for inciting insanity and violence – an extreme example being the cult classic of the 1930s, "Reefer Madness."
Haechten believes the criminal penalties for possessing marijuana have been excessive and the dangers of abuse overstated, causing its medicinal benefits to be overlooked for too long. The 51-year-old has Type I diabetes and wonders if ingestible cannabis preparations would relieve his recurrent stomach aches and limb pain. "I know medical marijuana doesn't help everything, but it's a lesser evil than some of the prescription drugs on the market today," he said. "It needs further study and the [Food and Drug Administration's] stamp of approval."
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Sltrib.com
Author: Kirsten Stewart
Contact: The Salt Lake Tribune - Staff Directory for The Salt Lake Tribune
Website: Poll: Majority of Utahns say yes to medical marijuana | The Salt Lake Tribune
