Prop 2 and Filthy, Dirty Politics
Newsflash Summary: In case any Utahn has been under a rock, the Mormon Church (Utah’s 600-pound gorilla) controls Utah Government on several issues, including cannabis. The vote of the People on Prop 2 does not change that reality. The political gorilla plans to undo Prop 2. Call Governor Herbert and tell him to not allow it.
Governor Gary Herbert: 801/538-1000
Unless citizens force them to change their minds, Governor Gary Herbert and the current lame duck Utah Legislature—at the direction of Utah’s 600-pound political gorilla—plan to snub over 450,000 Utahns who voted for Prop 2 and medical cannabis. The law that was passed last week by citizen initiative, Prop 2, legally can be amended or substituted by the same Legislature that the political gorilla directed to block medical cannabis for the last 5 years.
Though the political gorilla failed to defeat Prop 2 at the ballot box with its bogus “compromise” and Gold Room celebration, direct emails to its members, pleas from the pulpit, and expensive ad campaign that it ran through surrogates it directly raised money for, the Mormon Church is not stopping. It has shifted gears to defeat patient access by, once again, controlling Utah government. It has instructed the Governor and the Utah Legislature to convene a special legislative session to immediately gut Prop 2 with a bogus substitute that intentionally will get bogged down in litigation, rather than get cannabis to patients.
When the issue of medical cannabis escaped the Legislature, the Mormon Church realized that a direct “no” could not stop Utah’s initiative. Polling confirmed that reality. Therefore, Utah’s political gorilla devised the strategy to declare that it actually supports medical cannabis (and, of course, its Legislature would declare the same). But, rather than support Prop 2, the political gorilla and its hand-picked surrogates would quickly create a “better, broadly supported” alternative that they would hail as a “solution” to the (Church-made) controversy.
The bogus “compromise” would be enthusiastically announced days before ballots were mailed and would serve as a rallying point to signal to patient-friendly Mormons that they should vote against Prop 2. As The Utah Bee reported, the anti-democratic plan was masterfully executed, except for one big problem: it failed. Though the bogus “compromise” did predictably tank much support for Prop 2, a majority of Utahns still voted for Prop 2. Social media has changed the political landscape. Realizing that passage of Prop 2 was the only way patients might get relief, voters responded “no” to the political gorilla’s “trust us” proposal.
But, Utah being Utah, and the political gorilla controlling Utah government when it wants, the vote of the People might be immediately undone.
The political gorilla is now pulling the backup rip chord to kill patient access: the gorilla has directed its Legislature to pass a bogus law that will never result in patients receiving medical marijuana. The bogus law will be meaningless words on paper. Utah Stories reported last week on several “poison pills” in the bogus bill that would thwart patient access.
Added to those points, the most transparently absurd aspect of the bogus bill (as in, a 10-foot-high flashing neon sign shouting, “FEDS PLEASE STOP US NOW!”) is the incendiary middle finger that the bogus bill would give federal reefer madness types: the Church’s bogus bill calls for state employees—100% in violation of federal law—to deal drugs. (“Memo to State Employees: In violation of federal law, you will now deal drugs. That is federally illegal. You could go to prison. Good luck. Love, Governor Gary Herbert”).
No other state in America is directly involved in the packaging, transportation and distribution of medical marijuana or any other kind of marijuana, BECAUSE IT CLEARLY CAN’T BE DONE! Marijuana is illegal under federal law. Period. Full stop. The Mormon Church’s idea sounds crazy, because it is intentionally crazy. To stop cannabis from entering Utah (I know, LOL), the bogus bill forces the federal government to shut down Utah’s cannabis scheme. It would take one phone call. It’s as if the political gorilla wants the program to fail (wink, wink).
Just last month, the United States Attorney for the State of Utah, John Huber, pointedly reminded everyone that, no matter what the State of Utah does, marijuana is still federally illegal and that he plans to prosecute.
Yet, the political gorilla paints the biggest, brightest target it can on its bogus bill. (“Dear Mr. Huber: Yes, we heard your threat. We are sooooo scared. Guess what? Not only will Utah authorize cannabis like 30 other states, we will do a touchdown dance and hand you the game ball. We will have Utah state employees actually deal drugs. And we don’t think you will do anything about it. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Love, Utah.”).
Yeah. That’s gonna fly. (“Dear Utah: Stop. Love, John Huber and the United States of America. P.S. We print the money.”).
It would be checkmate, of course, but it would give chest-thumping Utah, um, leaders the opportunity to heroically battle that damn federal government for a decade, while patients would not receive cannabis. Again, like the bogus “compromise,” the bogus bill is dastardly and brilliantly dishonest.
In the rest of America, losers don’t determine the law. The winners of elections do that. In Utah, win or lose, the Mormon Church determines the law whenever it wants. That will happen to Prop 2, unless … unless … unless Utahns call Governor Herbert today and remind him that Prop 2 won and that Government needs to keep its hands off the People’s law. If changes are to be made to the People’s law, the People should make those changes through their legislative representatives who were elected last week. 30+ lame duck legislators should not flip off the People as they walk out the door.
This is basic democracy. The Mormon Church has spoken. And, the People have spoken. They are saying very different things. Who will Governor Herbert and Utah Legislators listen to? Is Utah a theocracy or a democracy? This will tell.
Governor Gary Herbert: 801/538-1000