This article originally appeared on ABC 4 News. Read it in its entirety here.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) – Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed a bill into law Monday that will replace a medical marijuana proposition approved by voters in November.
The Utah Medical Cannabis Act as it was coined was announced in early October ahead of Election Day. Key stakeholders and lawmakers agreed to come together to address what many called “issues” with the proposition.
Before the start of the Special Session to hammer out details of the compromise, Alliance for a Better Utah urged the legislature to “respect the will of the people.”
“We strongly urge state lawmakers to honor the will of the people on medical cannabis legislation. Regardless of their personal policy preferences, lawmakers should respect that a majority of voters approved Proposition 2. Voters were not at the table to negotiate this compromise, and the negative public sentiment shows strong opposition to it,” said Chase Thomas, executive director of Better Utah.
The bill passed easily in both the House and Senate by an almost party-line vote. Gov. Herbert released a statement shortly after signing the bill, calling the day historic.
“Utah now has the best-designed medical cannabis program in the country,” said Herbert.
This article originally appeared on ABC 4 News. Read it in its entirety here.
