SALT LAKE CITY -- Governor Gary Herbert said Thursday he is "open to the idea of medical marijuana" in Utah.
Speaking to reporters at his monthly news conference on KUED, Governor Herbert was asked by FOX 13 about Sen. Mark Madsen's bill that would legalize medical cannabis in Utah.
"I think if it's based on good science," the governor said.
FOX 13 first reported earlier this week that Madsen, R-Saratoga Springs, was bringing back his bill for the next legislative session. Madsen's legislation narrowly died in the senate earlier this year.
In the past, Governor Herbert has expressed concerns that medical marijuana could lead to recreational pot use. But on Thursday, he said he was willing to have the discussion but wanted questions answered, such as: Who's going to control it? Distribute it? What the quality is? What the quantity is? And who makes those decisions?
"Those are questions that need to be answered if we're going to move ahead with medical marijuana," Herbert said. "I'm open to the idea of medical marijuana and the discussion of how it can be used as a medicine based on science and making sure there's a good, collaborative effort to answer the questions out there."
