SALT LAKE CITY — By the thinnest of margins, the state House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would instruct the Department of Agriculture to oversee the cultivation and processing of full-strength cannabis in Utah.
HB197 passed with 38 votes, the fewest a measure can receive in that body and still pass. Thirty-two representatives voted against the so-called cannabis cultivation bill, and four were absent.
Several representatives switched sides since last week's vote, when it failed to pass after receiving 36 votes. The bill now advances to the Senate.
If the bill becomes law, the Department of Agriculture will coordinate with a third party to make sure full-strength cannabis is grown directly in Utah.
