--- title: Senator Tries Marijuana Ahead of Legalization Vote description: A Utah state senator decided to try cannabis for the first time—and film it—ahead of the state's vote on legalizing medical marijuana. canonical: https://time.com/5435836/jim-dabakis-utah-marijuana/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-10-26T14:53:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:55:41.034Z og:title: State Senator Tries Marijuana on Camera to Support Legalization og:description: "Recognize that this is nothing to be afraid of" og:url: https://time.com/5435836/jim-dabakis-utah-marijuana/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae894194683768e7/69893d87096a9411fa6a3c6a/jim-dabakis-utah-marijuana.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Medical Marijuana on bamboo mat og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: State Senator Tries Marijuana on Camera to Support Legalization twitter:description: "Recognize that this is nothing to be afraid of" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae894194683768e7/69893d87096a9411fa6a3c6a/jim-dabakis-utah-marijuana.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Utah State Senator Tries Marijuana on Camera to Show Why State Should Support Legalization  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Oct 26, 2018 2:53 PM UTC  Medical Marijuana on bamboo mat Medical Marijuana on bamboo matBill Oxford/Getty Images/iStockphoto  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Oct 26, 2018 2:53 PM UTC A Utah state senator decided to try [cannabis](http://time.com/4292844/420-april-20-marijuana-pot-holiday-history/) for the first time—and film it—ahead of the state’s vote on legalizing [medical marijuana](http://time.com/5430844/medical-marijuana-cancer-treatment/). On Saturday, Utah Sen. Jim Dabakis shared a video of himself sampling an [edible gummy bear](http://time.com/5114582/thc-edibles-new-mexico/) outside a dispensary in Las Vegas, where medical cannabis is legal. “I wanted to have at least one Utah state senator that actually has tried cannabis before we had this big debate,” he said in a follow-up video he posted to Facebook on Monday. Dabakis went on to conclude that he believes people should “mellow out” about marijuana, and that those opposed to legalizing it are those who have never tried it. “I felt a little high, a little okay, but it didn’t change my life,” he explained. “Everybody, mellow out. Recognize that this is nothing to be afraid of. The people that are terrified by it seem to be the people who never tried it.” Utah’s medical marijuana initiative, Proposition 2, would legalize medical marijuana for individuals with qualifying conditions. It will be on the ballot in Utah as an initiated state statute on Nov. 6. 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