Lawsuit to block medical marijuana initiative claims measure violates Mormons’ religious freedom

A longtime opponent of legalizing marijuana is showing up again after Proposition 2, a ballot initiative aimed at legalize medical marijuana in Utah, gains it's spot on this November's ballot. The Mormon church, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is claiming that their freedom of religion rights would be inringed upon if medical marijuana is legalized for patients. Specifically the lawsuit says that a Mormon property ownern's religious rights would be violated if they were forced to rent to someone who uses cannabis. But advocates say that majority of LDS members actually support the initiative and the LDS officials making these statements do not represent everyone. Those in support of the initiative are shocked that religious officials would be so concerned with medical marijuana patients seeking medication, many of whom seek relief from debilitating ailments and would be suffering without it. 

"To call these medical patients repugnant, these people that are in some of the most dire and desperate medical situations in their lives, we find distasteful," said DJ Schanz, the group's executive director.

Schanz said the argument was something he'd never seen before.

"The majority of LDS members support our ballot initiative so for them to cloak themselves in this self-righteousness they have that they can’t support this because of their LDS beliefs, I think is extremely, unnecessarily divisive," he told FOX 13.