cannabisnews.com: Legislators Try Again with Medical Marijuana Bill 





Legislators Try Again with Medical Marijuana Bill 
Posted by CN Staff on January 29, 2003 at 12:02:37 PT
By Bryan P. Sears 
Source: Towson Times
Medical marijuana could become a legal reality in Maryland if three state legislators from Baltimore County have their way. Sen. Paula Hollinger, an 11th District Democrat, will sponsor the bill in the Senate along with Sen. David Brinkley, a Republican who represents the 4th District in Frederick and Carroll counties. Dels. Dan Morhaim, an 11th District Democrat, and Al Redmer, an 8th District Republican, will sponsor an identical bill in the House of Delegates.
Their bill, allowing physicians in the state to prescribe the currently illegal substance, could be ready for introduction in both the Senate and the House as early as this week. ``We're not talking about medical marijuana as a joy drug," Hollinger said. ``We're talking about allowing prescriptions under very strict circumstances."This is not the first time a member of the General Assembly has attempted to make the medicinal use of marijuana legal.Former Del. Don Murphy, a Republican who represented the old District 12A, sponsored a bill last year that would have altered criminal law and reduced penalties for people who were found in possession of small quantities of the substance. Despite winning approval in the House, the bill died in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.Hollinger, a registered nurse, and Morhaim, an emergency room physician, said they became interested in finding a way to make marijuana legal after witnessing the suffering experienced by people who are afflicted with serious diseases such as cancer.``Everyone sees things through their own lens," Morhaim said. ``We see this through the medical lens."Redmer, who has supported past efforts to make the drug another weapon available to doctors, said he has witnessed the effects of life-threatening diseases on those he cared about. His mother is a cancer survivor. He said cancer also claimed the life of a friend.``That disease shows no favor. It takes Republicans the same as it takes Democrats," he said. ``When somebody is dying of cancer - and having personally watched the onslaught of this disease - if a physician believes the physical health and treatment of the patient would be more successful by having access to this drug, then the law should not stand in the way."This year's bill takes a different approach to the issue by attempting to address it as a health issue while leaving criminal statutes alone.``As a nurse, I see (the bill) as a different tack," Hollinger said. ``It should be in the health code and reviewed by the Board of Physician Quality Assurance and available only under specific conditions."A draft of the bill states that the drug can be prescribed for persons who suffer from ``debilitating conditions" like cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's Disease or other diseases that cause patients to suffer from severe weight loss known as wasting syndrome, severe pain or severe nausea.Once a patient receives a marijuana prescription, the board would automatically review the case. If approved, the patient would receive an identification card and be placed in a database made available to law enforcement agencies.After all that, the patients would still need to find a supply of the illegal drug.Morhaim originally envisioned the state dispensing marijuana to qualified patients. That idea was dumped because state officials were unwilling to take on the responsibility, Morhaim said.Hollinger said she does not want to see the seriously ill have to find a dealer so the bill is written to ``encourage" approved users to grow their own.The law would permit patients to possess three mature or four immature marijuana plants and one ounce of usable marijuana per mature plant.Opponents of similar legislative efforts claim medical marijuana bills are the first step in making the drug legal and as available as alcohol or tobacco.The sponsors said their bill is about providing another way to offer comfort to the seriously ill and not about decriminalization.The sponsors are hoping to avoid the pitfalls that killed the bill last year by keeping this year's offering out of the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. If they have their way, the bill would heard in the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, the same committee Hollinger now chairs.The bill may also have to overcome opposition from House Speaker Michael Busch, an Anne Arundel County Democrat. Busch voted against Murphy's bill last year.Morhaim said that he did not believe Busch would spend the time to bring the ``full force of the Speaker's office to bear on this bill." A spokesman for Gov. Robert Ehrlich said the governor would sign the bill into law if it is approved by the General Assembly.``This is not meant to be a panacea," Morhaim said. ``But if marijuana affords some relief to someone in their last weeks then that's all we can offer. All we can offer is comfort."Source: Towson Times (MD)Author: Bryan P. Sears Published: January 29, 2003Copyright: 2003 MyWebPal.comContact: pmilton patuxent.comWebsite: http://www.towsontimes.com/ Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Coalition for Compassionate Accesshttp://www.CompassionateAccess.org Medical Marijuana Gets Nod of Ehrlich http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15216.shtmlGovernor Will Back Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15214.shtml
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Comment #2 posted by Toad on January 29, 2003 at 13:29:39 PT
Joy Drug
"We're not talking about medical marijuana as a joy drug" Paul Hollinger said. God forbid someone use marijuana to feel joyful. These modern day American Puritans really hate the thought of the masses just plain feeling good. And it's usually these same staunch believers that have some serious deviance like many Catholic priests.
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on January 29, 2003 at 12:35:24 PT:
Care Needed
It is great that there is momentum to create a bill in Maryland. However, if this calls for "prescriptions," it will surely cause the Feds to step in. Such language invalidated Arizona's first efforts in 1996. The most that can occur is a "recommendation" for cannabis.Secondly, the distinction between mature and immature plants has been problematic elsewhere. LEO's tend not to be able (or attempt) to tell the difference. They would be well advised to pick a certain number of "plants" and stick with it.Meanwhile, I am pleased to announce that a Montana Clinical Cannabis Act may be introduced in the legislature as early as next week.
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