The recent front page piece on the LDS Church’s opposition to medical marijuana alarms me. Since there is an opioid epidemic, why isn’t the LDS Church supporting the natural medical alternative? If the church is truly concerned for its members’ health, then it should be on the other side of the issue. Rather than fear marijuana being addictive, it should advise against the use of opioids, which are lethal. There is far more evidence of opioid addiction than there is of marijuana. But more important is the long list of harmful side effects of prescription pain killers compared to those from cannabis.

My 93-year-old temple-going, pioneer-stock, arch-conservative-Republican, missionary father was at first reluctant to use CBD cannabis for pain relief, until he realized that the opioids (Percocet, Lortab, etc.) were actually making him sick. His final months were made comfortable by spreading a small CBD-laced pat of butter on a cube of bread, allowing him a virtually pain-free end to his life. Every medical professional who cared for him privately approved his choice.

Why the church doesn’t prefer the medicinal use of cannabis as it does the medicinal use of tobacco is a mystery to me. Opioids are killing us.

Giles Florence, Salt Lake City