Governor signs bill giving terminally ill a ‘right to try’ medical marijuana in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Gary Herbert has signed a bill giving terminally ill patients a “right to try” medical marijuana.

In the latest stack of bills signed into law by the governor, he approved House Bill 195.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, dips a toe into medical marijuana in Utah by allowing people with less than six months to live to give cannabis a try. The governor has yet to sign a companion bill that would have the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food grow the marijuana for them.

The governor’s office said it expects he would sign that bill.

Medical marijuana supporters have rejected HB195 as not doing enough to help patients with a list of problems and have put their faith in a ballot initiative that could go before voters in November. So far, the Utah Patients Coalition said it has gathered more than 150,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot.

On Wednesday, Gov. Herbert vetoed a bill on patient transportation at the request of the sponsor. Rep. Ed Redd, R-Logan, said 10 words were inadvertently omitted from the bill, which gave it the opposite effect.

Read the governor’s veto letter here:

Here’s the other bills the governor signed into law:

• HB0014Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Patient Brokering, Hutchings, E.

• HB0030S01Utah Antidiscrimination Act Amendments, Dunnigan, J.

• HB0037S01Occupational and Professional Licensing Amendments, Dunnigan, J.

• HB0039S05Insurance Modifications, Dunnigan, J.

• HB0081S01Safety Belt Violations Amendments, McKell, M.

• HB0096Amendment to Constitutional and Federalism Defense Act Repealer, Ivory, K.

• HB0099Substance Abuse and Mental Health Act Amendments, Redd, E.

• HB0101S02Air Quality Emissions Testing Amendments, Arent, P.

• HB0102S01Use of Force Amendments, Greene, B.

• HB0116S02Student Civil Liberties Protection Act, Coleman, K.

• HB0121S01Regulation of Alkaline Hydrolysis Process, Handy, S.

• HB0127S02Controlled Substance Database Act Amendments, Fawson, J.

• HB0146Postretirement Reemployment Restrictions Act Amendments, Sagers, D.

• HB0149S01Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Funding Amendments, Froerer, G.

• HB0151Utah Population Estimates Production, Spendlove, R.

• HB0170Licensing Fee Waivers Amendments, Pulsipher, S.

• HB0188Regulation of Out-of-state Distribution Electrical Cooperative Amendments, Albrecht, C.

• HB0195S03Medical Cannabis Policy, Daw, B.

• HB0291S01Sentencing Commission Length of Supervision Guidelines, Hutchings, E.

• HB0303S02Drinking Water Source Sizing Requirements, Sandall, S.

• HB0306State Board of Education Revisions, Peterson, V.

• HB0341Government Nonprofit Amendments, McKell, M.

• HB0357Evaluating Tax Revenue Foregone from Federally Controlled Lands, Ivory, K.

• HB0377Land Use Amendments, Schultz, M.

• HB0390S01Rural Economic Development Incentives, Albrecht, C.

• HB0408Public Education Amendments, Moss, J.

• HB0444Martha Hughes Cannon Statue Oversight Committee, Edwards, R.

• SB0030S01Aggravated Murder Amendments, Mayne, K.

• SB0035Water Right for Trout Habitat Repeal Date Extension, Christensen, A.

• SB0037Sales and Use Tax Exemption Amendments, Stephenson, H.

• SB0045Water Law Amendments — Diligence Claims, Dayton, M.

• SB0054S01Marriage and Premarital Counseling and Education Amendments, Christensen, A.

• SB0061S01Water Rights Adjudication Amendments, Dayton, M.

• SB0096S02Canal Amendments, Hinkins, D.

• SB0114Disposal of County Property Amendments, Harper, W.

• SB0135 Insurance Contracts Amendments, Fillmore, L.

• SB0139Public-private Partnership Amendments, Harper, W.

• SB0142Victims of Domestic Violence Services Account Amendments, Christensen, A.

• SB0147Nursing Initiative, Milner, A.

• SB0168Utah Agricultural Code Amendments, Dayton, M.

• SB0178Interlocal Entities Amendments, Henderson, D.

• SB0181S01Infertility Insurance Coverage Pilot Program, Escamilla, L.

• SB0202After School Program Amendments, Escamilla, L.

• SB0203S01Termination of Parental Rights Amendments, Weiler, T.

• SB0226Urban Farming Amendments, Van Tassell, K.

• SB0231S01State Building Code Amendments, Mayne, K.

• HCR006Concurrent Resolution Honoring Former Chief Justice Christine M. Durham, Arent, P.

• HCR007S01Concurrent Resolution on Environmental and Economic Stewardship, Edwards, R.

• HCR008Concurrent Resolution Recognizing Historic and Economic Relationships Between Canada, the United States, and Utah, Handy, S.

• HCR012S01Concurrent Resolution Calling upon Congress to Assure a Complete and Accurate 2020 Census, Chavez-Houck, R.

• HCR016Concurrent Resolution Honoring President Matthew S. Holland, Daw, M.

• HCR020Concurrent Resolution Honoring Jon M. Huntsman, Sr., Hughes, G.

• HCR021Concurrent REsolution to Name a State Park after Fred Hayes, Perry, L.

• SCR001S03Concurrent Resolution Recommending Replacement of Statue of Philo Farnsworth in United States Capitol, Weiler, T.

• SCR003Concurrent Resolution on the Importance of Civil Liberties for Students, Dabakis, J.