SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah's governor has criticized federal lawmakers for moving too slowly on marijuana policy reform.
The Salt Lake Tribune reportedThursday that Gov. Gary Herbert says the federal classification of cannabis as a schedule 1 drug interferes with research into its potential medicinal uses and prevents regular pharmacies from dispensing it.
The classification puts marijuana in the same category as heroin and LSD.
The Republican says the federal government "oughta be ashamed" for the "lack of action and attention" to the issue.
Utah voters passed a ballot initiative in 2018 to create a medical cannabis program and state legislators followed by instituting their own marijuana law.
Herbert says the state's medical marijuana program faces policies that hinder doctors and federal banking restrictions forcing marijuana vendors to operate as cash-only businesses.