Even though there's an effort afoot in the Utah Legislature to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, the Beehive State is expected to be the last state to fully legalize pot.
66% of Utahns favor legalizing medicinal marijuana, but full legalization may be a bridge too far for them.
Slate.com explains why Utah will be one of the final nine states to fully legalize marijuana.
Utah.The Mormon heartland, another state where Republicans dominate the legislature and the executive branch, and another state where the only legislative concession to pot law reform has been the passage of a no-THC, high-CBD cannabis oil bill. A March poll found 72% of Utahns supported medical marijuana, but that didn’t stop the legislature from quickly killing a medical marijuana bill this year. That poll didn’t ask about legalization; the last one that did, from 2013, was not encouraging: It had 57% opposed to legalization. Utah has the initiative process, but that won’t be much good until Utahns get on board with legalization.
California is likely to legalize marijuana in 2016 through the initiative process. Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada are also likely to join the club soon.
