Pass Meaningful Marijuana Legislation – The Daily Utah Chronicle

By Elle Cowley, Opinion Writer, Audio Producer
March 4, 2023

The Utah State Legislature made medical marijuana legal in Dec. 2018. Every year since then, the legislature has done nothing but tweak the already existing laws each session.

As of Nov. 2022, recreational marijuana is legal in 21 states, with more getting closer to legalization every year. But the reluctance of our legislature to move forward with marijuana reform illustrates a larger problem within Utah’s government: the lack of willingness to make changes that benefit citizens in Utah.

Utah’s legislature needs to stop treading old ground and begin to take steps forward with marijuana reform.

Current Legislation

The two marijuana-related bills introduced during the 2023 General Session were S.B. 91 and H.B. 27. S.B. 91 seeks to reword what is and isn’t legal in the state’s currently existing laws, while H.B. 27 lessens the likelihood of a felony charge for a former offender with a medical marijuana card.

Putting aside the fact that people legally possessing marijuana should not face repercussions for owning it, neither of these bills put forth any significant changes to pre-existing laws. Since medical marijuana’s legalization, Utah has stagnated heavily in marijuana reform. The closest thing to change has been the approval of drive-through dispensaries and home delivery. These changes still neglect to address the fact that in the state of Utah, one can…