A new poll indicates that Utahns are divided on how the church's position would affect their vote

SALT LAKE CITY – New Utah Policy polls show 43% of potential state voters are less likely to support the Marijuana Bulletins initiative as a result of opposition from the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints.

The news site reported that 25% of likely voters were "much less likely" to support proposal 2 because of the church's position, while 18% were a little less likely.

Yet, almost as many people said that they were more likely to support the initiative because of the church's position.

The Utah Policy poll asked the following: "LDS Church leaders have opposed the medical marijuana vote initiative." Does their opposition make you more or less likely to vote for the initiative? "

Forty-one percent of those surveyed said they were more likely to support proposal 2 because of church opposition. Of these, 26% indicated that they were much more likely to support it and 15% were more likely to support it.

Seventeen percent of respondents said that they were not sure if the opposition of the church had made them more or less likely to support proposal 2. An option stating that the position of the Church would have no effect on their support was not included in the survey.

Of the respondents who identified themselves as "very active" Latter-day Saints, 65% said their church's position would make them less likely to support Proposition 2, 18% said they did not know.

Yet, the same survey asked whether respondents "support or oppose the legalization of doctors' recommended marijuana use for certain illnesses and pain relief," including 64% of respondents and 45% of last days favor. The results of this question were released by Utah Policy last week.

Seventy-three percent of Catholic respondents said the opposition of Latter-day Saint leaders to Proposition 2 made them more supportive of the initiative, as did 69% of Protestants and 80% of those surveyed. declaring that he does not have a religious belief.

Of the Latter-day Saint respondents who reported being "somewhat active," 48% said their church's position encouraged them more to support Proposition 2, compared to 36% who were less likely to support it. 15%, respectively, for former members of the church.

DJ Schanz, campaign director for the Utah Patients Coalition, said the findings about the church's influence on people's support show that "when churches plunge into the political world, they divide."

"Look, the church certainly has an influence on people, but we maintain that its best influence is in the spiritual and religious realm of things, and quit politics … for people to vote."

The survey also found that 55% of respondents said they did not "read the language of the marijuana initiative for medical purposes," while 43% said Two percent said they did not know.

The survey was conducted among 809 Utah voters from August 22 to August 31, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4%.

Schanz also responded to a recent Deseret News report in which Latter-day Latter-day leaders said they want to see Utah lawmakers convene a special session by the end of the year to legalize medical marijuana and reiterated their disagreements with Proposition 2.

"The idea that the church and this coalition of prohibitions were pushing to vote against an initiative by organizing a special session is nothing new," said Schanz, saying the initiative would adopted by voters, regardless of the prospect of a special legislative session.

"We know from the beginning that elected officials have the ability to change and change the initiative once it has passed," he said.

In this case, the initiative campaign would ensure that "the will of voters is respected," he said, even if legislators address "some minor problems with the electoral initiative."

New analysis

Also Monday, the Salt Lake City law firm, Kirton McConkie, issued a report rebutting critics of a legal analysis carried out as part of proposal 2 earlier this year on behalf of the company. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The church said in May that Kirton McConkie's 31-point analysis "raises serious concerns about this initiative and the serious negative consequences that could result if it were adopted".

The original analysis of Kirton McConkie raised concerns about the difficulty of diagnosing certain medical conditions that would qualify a person for a medical cannabis card under Proposition 2 and permission to allow people to grow their own plants. dispensary marijuana.

This analysis also concluded that the initiative would make it more difficult to enforce the laws prohibiting the use of marijuana for recreational purposes and would leave the state prone to exploitation or neglect by physicians.

Responding to Kirton McConkie's report, the Libertas Institute in May described it as a "poor attempt to provide biased statements and misleading discussion points."

The Libertas Institute at the time also included a punctual response to the analysis, claiming that the provisions allowing the cultivation of plants for personal use were designed to encourage more dispensaries in Utah, "there was" much evidence that the list of conditions included the initiative can be lightened or helped "with marijuana, and proposal 2 retains" the ability of law enforcement to properly control the problem ".

Addressing critics of the Libertas Institute in a memorandum sent to the Church of Jesus Christ and issued on Monday, Kirton McConkie said that "Libertas' response is not really a legal rebuttal but rather an affirmation of one's own libertarian political preferences ".

"Libertas seems to be in favor of a complete legalization of marijuana, and the initiative of marijuana is a big step in that direction," said the memorandum addressed to the church. "The main purpose of our analysis, by contrast, was to identify some of the legal issues and risks that the marijuana initiative would create.

"The question of whether these problems and risks are worth it – or whether the marijuana initiative is a slippery slope to full legalization – is a policy issue that voters must decide."

The note adds that "in almost every respect, Libertas is in fact in agreement with our analysis" and that "when Libertas does not agree with the law, it is all just wrong ".

Connor Boyack, president of the Libertas Institute, said on Monday that it was "misleading" for Kirton McConkie to assert that Libertas' own analysis of this initiative was in keeping with the original criticism.

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"In fact, we said that what was being charged was intentional or important.This does not mean that there is an agreement on their initial concern, it means rather that it is out of context, or irrelevant, or misinterpret the truth, "said Boyack. the Deseret News.

He added that "at the end of the day, no one will worry about rebuttal a rebuttal".

"The poll still shows a strong majority of support, so at this point we think voters have the problem," Boyack said.