THEN:
"We do not tell them how to vote,
and we do not tell the government how it
should be run."
President and Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1996.
NOW:
"We urge voters of Utah to vote NO on Proposition 2"
Official Church Announcement sent via email to members of the Church on August 23, 2018
.........
TO URGE: to force or impel in an indicated direction or into motion or greater speed
Below is the email I received last week:
Some facts:
- Out of all 50 US States, Utah had the Seventh-Highest Drug Overdose Rate in the US between 2013 and 2015
- The LDS Church owns over 1 billion dollars in big pharma stocks.
- Cannabis is natures medicine and it can alleviate suffering from so many medical conditions
- Agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves.
7 comments:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knows that their tax exempt status can be lost if they become too political. It is odd they would take this step.
The IRS has explained the following: In general, no organization may qualify for section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying). A 501(c)(3) organization may engage in some lobbying, but too much lobbying activity risks loss of tax-exempt status.
Legislation includes action by Congress, any state legislature, any local council, or similar governing body, with respect to acts, bills, resolutions, or similar items (such as legislative confirmation of appointive office), or by the public in referendum, ballot initiative, constitutional amendment, or similar procedure. It does not include actions by executive, judicial, or administrative bodies.
An organization will be regarded as attempting to influence legislation if it contacts, or urges the public to contact, members or employees of a legislative body for the purpose of proposing, supporting, or opposing legislation, or if the organization advocates the adoption or rejection of legislation.
Organizations may, however, involve themselves in issues of public policy without the activity being considered as lobbying. For example, organizations may conduct educational meetings, prepare and distribute educational materials, or otherwise consider public policy issues in an educational manner without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.
According to Google internent information(take it or leave it as factual)
Utah is not even in the top 10 for opiod overdose deaths. Perhaps reconfigure your "facts."
Pharmacist cannot dispense medical marijuana. Because they are tied to the pharmaceutical companies and these companies cannot dispense medical marijuana. Therefore the LDS church is being deceitful in saying they're not against medical marijuana
https://www.alpinerecoverylodge.com/utah-drug-abuse-statistics/
1. Out of all 50 US States, Utah had the Seventh-Highest Drug Overdose Rate in the US between 2013 and 2015.
2. Prescription Drug Deaths in Utah have Increased by 400 Percent since 2000.
3. With 60 Percent of Utah Residents Being Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Many People Affected by Pill Addiction in Utah are Mormon.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (“The Church”) has invested its tithing dollars wisely; nearly $73 million in shares of Pfizer, $490 million in Johnson & Johnson, and another $719 million in a multitude of other pharmaceutical giants.
Of particular interest is the fact that one of these pharmaceutical companies, AbbVie Inc., manufactures the FDA-approved cannabis-based, synthetic drug called Marinol® with some purported amazing health benefits and properties.
Double blinded research shows legions of uses of Marinol® which include the alleviation of fibromyalgia pain, glaucoma-related eye pressure, menstrual migraines, postoperative nausea and vomiting, muscle spasticity related to multiple sclerosis (MS) and to increase appetite and reduce nausea in cancer and AIDS patients to name a few.
However, unlike the Marijuana plant, Marinol® is a legal, synthetic, regulated, pharmaceutical drug that has undergone rigorous and extensive clinical testing by the United States Federal Government through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support and insure its safe, effective use. This includes extensive reviews of studies that have described the various safety and health benefits of Marinol® in double-blinded research.
ABBV shares were trading at $98.90 as of its opening on June 6, 2018. The cost for Marinol® oral capsule (2.5 mg) is around $692 for a one month supply of 60 capsules. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints currently owns 67,870 shares in AbbVie.
Updated numbers:
https://brtside.com/cannabis-culture/cannabis-lessons-mormon-investments/
Based on "The Church" (tm) nearly owning the Utah Legislature, I'm surprised they can retain their tax exemption at all.
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