Utah GOP state delegates overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to support medical marijuana in their party platform over the weekend.
Paul Clayton, president of the Utah Medical Association, was one of those opposed to the resolution. He said cannabis has not yet been approved by the FDA as medicine.
“There’s a system in place to bring medicines to the public that are safe, effective; we know the dose, we know the contra-indications," he said. "Cannabis is not there yet.”
But Dale Bennion, a delegate from Weber County, said patients suffering from chronic pain and disease deserve access to all medical treatments.
“Marijuana is a lesser evil compared to opiates," he said. "People aren’t dying of marijuana. It’s a lesser evil compared to alcohol."
The resolution failed with 70 percent of delegates voting against and just 30 percent in support. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana.