U.S. Mormon church opposes Utah's medical marijuana ballot initiative

https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/357977...92105cda/ss_mormon-church-opposes-utah's.html

Utah has yet to officially add a ballot initiative allowing residents to vote for allowing medical marijuana, but one of the state's biggest institutions is coming out against it. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) issued a memorandum prepared by the church's regular legal firm, Kirton McConkie, with 31 different "legal issues" supporting its stance against allowing marijuana for medicinal use. The required 200,000 signatures to put the ballot initiative to voters in November was submitted for review on April 16, according to The Associated Press. The church said in April, two days after the signatures pushing for the initiative to be added to the ballot were submitted, that ..
=====================================
This is a group that I would expect to be up tight on this issue as they are already down on coffee & alcohol.

JacksinPA said:

....

This is a group that I would expect to be up tight on this issue as they are already down on coffee & alcohol.

Click to expand...

ya think?




I'm a Mormon, but not a good one. I'm rooting for legalization.

I had a Mormon neighbor ask me if I wanted a carton of Jamocha Almond Fudge ice cream once, because she realized it had coffee in it. I was happy to take it off her hands, lol.

I understand why the church would be against recreational marijuana but why medical marijuana?

Masterhawk said:

I understand why the church would be against recreational marijuana but why medical marijuana?

Click to expand...

good question

The current LDS practice of the "Word of Wisdom" is different from the original instructions given by Joseph Smith. For example, if Mormons followed the original Word of Wisdom, they would eat a whole lot less meat. But here's what that scripture says about medicinal herbs:

8 And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill.

9 And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly.

10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—

11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.

Click to expand...

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89



If the medical community accepts marijuana as having medicinal uses, arguably the LDS church should also.

Ah, I see.

The Utah Medical Association says it supports some medical uses of marijuana for adults, but it says the Utah initiative was not really about medicine.

https://www.utahmed.org/docs/MJ/MarijuanaStatement.pdf


And the church leadership said they were following the UMA's lead:

https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/first-presidency-statement-on-utah-marijuana-initiative