Sixty-Three Percent of Mormons Support Medical Cannabis, Poll Indicates

According to a new poll from UtahPolicy.com, 63 percent of active Mormons support the legalization of medical cannabis. Over 88 percent of Utah’s 104-member state legislature are Mormon, which is why Utah laws inevitably reflect the will of its Mormon supermajority.

The survey was conducted by pollster Dan Jones & Associates, who interviewed 608 adult Utahns from August 30 to September 5. Nearly three out of four Utahns support the legalization of  medical cannabis. Twenty-two percent oppose medical cannabis, with four percent undecided. Sixty-one percent of Utah Republicans were in favor of a citizen initiative on medical cannabis and 93 percent approval from Democrats and 87 percent approval from Independents.

An official statement from the LDS Church and obtained by Fox 13 News indicates that the church opposes a medical cannabis bill until an FDA approval is given. “During the 2017 legislative session, a bill was passed that appropriately authorized further research of the potential benefits and risks of using marijuana,” a church spokesman stated. “The difficulties of attempting to legalize a drug at the state level that is illegal under Federal law cannot be overstated. Accordingly, we believe that society is best served by requiring marijuana to go through further research and the FDA approval process that all other drugs must go through before they are prescribed to patients.”

The church, however, approves of non-psychoactive CBD preparations for epilepsy patients with serious needs. Despite the official church statement, most members are supportive of allowing medical cannabis.

The church is loosening other dietary restrictions as well. Brigham Young University (BYU), a private university owned and operated by the church, shocked the community by announcing that drinks like Coca-Cola would be served on campus, withdrawing from its caffeine-free policy.

The Utah Patients Coalition (UPS) launched an initiative on June 26 to legalize medical cannabis in Utah, which is needed now more than ever. According to a recent study by the state government, each month 23 individuals die from prescription overdoses in Utah. Utah ranks as having the seventh-worst rate of drug poisoning deaths from 2013-2015.