This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For the proposition:
— I know that medical marijuana works — Robert Kirby | The Salt Lake Tribune
" ... "Yes, I know it was illegal in Utah. I did it anyway. Call the cops. ..."
— Why I broke the law to use medical cannabis — Enedina Stanger | For The Salt Lake Tribune
" ... I do not hesitate to state that medical cannabis saved my life. It saves my life every day — not because it can ease the horrendous pain, but because it relaxes the muscles that are cramping and calms the never-ending misfiring of nerves. Opiate medication has nearly killed me; my frail body could not withstand the side effects. Cannabis brings relief without the side effects. To me, it is a miracle — albeit an illegal one. ..."
— Logic and humanity argue for medical marijuana — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial
"... there has been more than enough evidence presented to convince any compassionate person — or institution — that medical cannabis offers some of us real relief from unimaginable levels of human suffering. Relief that is more effective, with fewer side-effects, than can be had from legal medications. ..."
— Most Utah voters support legal medicinal marijuana; guv says it's possible — Robert Gehrke | The Salt Lake Tribune
"More than 3 out of 5 Utahns want to see medicinal marijuana legalized in the state, but obstacles and opposition remain as the 2016 Legislature considers making Utah the 24th state to implement such a program. ..."
— Patients, prosecutor say Utah needs change to medical marijuana policy — Robert Gehrke | The Salt Lake Tribune
" ... Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill joined the refrain, saying those gathered in the Capitol were not the people the state should be forcing him to prosecute.
" 'I will prosecute whoever you want me to prosecute, and I will put in jail whoever you want,' Gill said. 'But we all have a role to play when it comes to public policy, and I can tell you, from where I stand, these are not the faces of criminals and these are not the people I want to be prosecuting.' ..."
— As government drags feet, voters move on medical marijuana — Palm Beach (Fla.) Post Editorial
"After utterly failing to bring relief even to children with severe epilepsy through a non-narcotic form of marijuana, Florida officials fully deserve the wrath of voters who are on the way to taking matters into their own hands — with a constitutional amendment that would make marijuana available for a wide range of debilitating medical conditions. ..."
— Let pain and PTSD sufferers in Illinois use cannabis — Chicago Tribune Editorial
" ... It shouldn't be easy to buy or sell medical marijuana, and it isn't. There are strict rules for the growers and dispensers. Patients need a permit, which requires submitting to fingerprinting, plus a doctor's diagnosis of an approved illness. If there are only a few thousand customers so far, investors had to know this new and unusual industry wouldn't, um, blossom overnight. ..."
— Time to move on medical marijuana — Daily Item Editorial (Sunbury, Penn.)
" ... Advocates for medical marijuana in Pennsylvania are frustrated because it has been on the verge of passage for several years. Gov. Wolf said he will sign any bill legalizing medicinal usage, but it has to get to his desk first. ..."
— Remove New York's medical marijuana barriers — Auburn (N.Y.) Citizen Editorial
"The state Department of Health officially launched its medical marijuana program on Jan. 7, a date that should have marked a significant breakthrough for thousands of people suffering from diseases and conditions such as cancer, ALS and HIV.
"Unfortunately, as Auburn resident and cancer patient Art Wenzel pointed out last week after trying to work with the new program, there's some substantial glitches in the system that are making it overly difficult for people to obtain this treatment. ..."
Opposed:
— Mormon church against Madsen's Utah marijuana bill; 'no objection' to other measure — Robert Gehrke | The Salt Lake Tribune
"A senator is frustrated that leaders of Utah's predominant faith "put their thumb on the scale" to influence state policy...."
— Mormon church opposition to marijuana bill changes at least one vote — Robert Gehrke and Lee Davidson | The Salt Lake Tribune
— Marijuana — the new miracle drug? — Gordon Lindsay Ph.D | For The Provo Daily Herald
" ... I believe there are medical benefits to marijuana and support a more active research agenda into its potential benefits. But only scientific studies, not testimonials, will isolate the active ingredients that work, identify the conditions which are helped, determine the side effects, establish correct dosage, and identify contraindications. Only after this is done should the medical profession determine the marijuana components for medical use. ...
" ... Lindsay is a member of the Health Science Department at Brigham Young University."