Politics Utah Senator Tries First Edible: ‘Everybody, Mellow Out’ Bruce Barcott October 24, 2018 Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis wanted to see what the fuss was about. So he tried a couple edibles. Meh. It was okay.

Here at Leafly, we’ve seen far too many elected officials make cannabis policy without knowing the first thing about cannabis. Which is why we were absolutely delighted to see Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis walk the walk this week before he talked the talk.

“I decided to come to Las Vegas and see what all the folderol was about.” Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis, (D-Salt Lake City)

Dabakis, a Democrat who represents Salt Lake City, decided that he wanted to know what it felt like to enjoy a little cannabis. Utah voters, after all, will be asked to approve or deny the legalization of medical cannabis on the Nov. 6 statewide ballot.

So, said Dabakis, “I decided to come to Las Vegas and see what the whole folderol is about.” Dabakis traveled to Vegas on his own dime (not the taxpayers’) and purchased some infused gummies at the NuLeaf store a few blocks east of The Strip. Find Cannabis Near You In Las Vegas—or Wherever You Are FIND “I have never tasted, eaten, smoked, shot up marijuana in my life,” he said, “so when I use it, I’ll be like a first time, because that’s what it is.”

Jim, if you’re using the phrase “shot up marijuana,” that’s pretty much as good as a bona fide gets. Because nobody “shoots up” cannabis. That’d be like snorting vodka or wearing a shoe as a hat. You can do it, I suppose, but why would anyone want to?

Dabakis purchased some gummies on Sat., Oct 20. He tasted a couple, and presumably enjoyed his weekend in Vegas:

Until this moment, I was a marijuana virgin. Ending that now. At least one legislator ought to try the stuff before we change the law! Posted by Senator Jim Dabakis on Saturday, October 20, 2018

Two days later, on Mon., Oct. 22, Dabakis posted a follow-up video. “I am fine,” he wrote on Facebook. “I survived the gummy.”

“I’m healthy. I wouldn’t suggest shooting up marijuana to anybody. But I’ll tell you. I think it’s a lot of ho-hum. I think the reefer madness crowd, you guys you need to try it. It’s not that big a deal. I felt a little high, you know, a little bit, OK— but it didn’t change my life. So. Everybody. Mellow out. Recognize that this is nothing to be afraid of. Because the people that are terrified by it seem to be the people who have never tried it!”

Follow-up from Las Vegas week-end. I am fine. I survived the Cannabis Gummy Bear! And, I have an opinion Posted by Senator Jim Dabakis on Monday, October 22, 2018

Utah voters will decide the fate of medical marijuana in their own state on Tues., Nov. 6, when Prop. 2 appears on the ballot. Leafly will cover the action in a special live Election 2018 page and videos that evening. We’ll see you then.

Bruce Barcott Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, investigations, and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America. View Bruce Barcott's articles