cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Bill Ready for Session





Marijuana Bill Ready for Session
Posted by CN Staff on December 30, 2002 at 07:40:23 PT
By The Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Hartford, Conn. -- The debate over the issue of medical marijuana is expected to again come up before the Connecticut legislature this coming session. State Rep. James Abrams, D-Meriden, said he will again propose legislation that would allow doctors to issue certificates recommending marijuana for their patients' medical conditions. In 1981, Connecticut passed one of the nation's first medical marijuana laws, allowing doctors to prescribe the drug for medical purposes.
But because federal law overrides state law, doctors have not been prescribing it for fear of prosecution.Under Abrams' proposed bill, doctors would not prescribe the drug, only recommend it. The burden of acquiring marijuana would be transferred from doctors to patients, who would have to show valid certificates."What we basically want to do is make the law workable," Robert Rooks, executive director of the New Haven-based A Better Way Foundation, said.A Better Way is a research and educational organization that has helped draft the bill.The bill would expand the use of medical marijuana from treatment of nausea associated with chemotherapy and eye pressure from glaucoma to more conditions, including HIV/AIDS.However, the prospect of putting an illegal drug into the hands of more people concerns some legislators who say they will oppose the bill."I'm just not comfortable with opening that door in terms of just general access through a doctor's orders," said state Rep. Claudia "Dolly" Powers, R-Greenwich."We do have medicines that already mimic it without the smoking part and all that kind of stuff," she said.State Sen. William Nickerson, R-Greenwich, said he would oppose the bill unless the medical societies recommended it."I'd have to see very clear and convincing evidence from the Connecticut Medical Society and the Connecticut medical community that this has a valid medical use," he said. "Much of what I've read puts that into question."Source: Associated PressPublished: December 30, 2002Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmVote Needed Change To Medicinal Pot Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12315.shtmlState Talks Marijuana - Connecticut Post http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12270.shtml
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