[420 Girl]

Advocates of ending the prohibition of medical marijuana and industrial hemp in Utah will rally on Capitol Hill tomorrow. Rob Latham, Director of Government Affairs for the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, says prosecuting people that legally obtained marijuana in another state is an injustice.

"I spend a lot of time representing folks, some of them patients, who are coming through Utah, either just passing through or coming here on vacation, who get stopped and prosecuted for marijuana possession. It's a problem when we're going after these people who a medical provider in another state has given them the license to use this to treat their symptoms," says Latham.

Latham says there are twelve states in the U.S. that have legalized medical marijuana, including neighboring states like Colorado, California, Montana, and Nevada. Utah's laws aren't just, adds Latham, when drunk drivers only lose their drivers licenses for 90 days, and a marijuana possession arrest means losing that license for six months, regardless of intoxication level or even if they were driving.

Even with neighboring states on board, Latham fears it may take Utah a while to legalize medical marijuana.

"I think Utah will probably be one of the last states to follow examples like these other states that have legalized medical marijuana, or cities like Denver which have also decriminalized it on a municipal level, or said to law enforcement ‘don't make this your first priority' in enforcing. Please go after the real criminals who create real victims and lets leave these folks who aren't causing harm to anybody alone," says Latham.

The Utah Coalition Against Prohibition will rally on the steps of the state Capitol tomorrow afternoon from noon to 4:20 p.m.


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