Opponents drop lawsuit to prevent medical cannabis vote in Utah

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Opponents of Utah’s medical marijuana ballot initiative have dropped their lawsuit seeking to prevent the question from being put to voters in November.

The Utah Medical Cannabis Act would open up one of the country’s most conservative states to a legal MMJ market with potentially about 20 licensed dispensaries, as well as cultivators, processors and independent testers.

The action by Drug Safe Utah, a coalition that includes the Utah Medical Association and law enforcement agencies, comes two weeks after Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox argued in a court filing that the group’s claim lacked standing and merit.

The coalition’s attorney, Blake Ostler, declined to say why the group dropped the suit.

A recent poll found that 72% of Utah residents remain in support of the initiative, despite opposition from Drug Safe Utah and the Mormon church. But support has declined a few percentage points from 77% approval in March.

– Associated Press and Marijuana Business Daily