The story behind a Mormon marijuana lobby

How a conservative Mormon family found hope in cannabis

Utah governor
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer))

My 19-year-old sister is adorable. She's fiercely independent, a little moody, and obsessed with movies. She's also the reason my mother joined forces with other Utah moms to form a powerful "mommy lobby." Since late last year, these moms — many of them, like my mother, who had never before been active in politics — have sent letters to their representatives, gathered support from friends and colleagues, and even testified on Capitol Hill. Amelia, you see, has Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy, and our conservative Mormon family has found hope in the most unlikely of places: cannabis.

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