cannabisnews.com: Md. Likely to Ease Penalties for Medical Marijuana





Md. Likely to Ease Penalties for Medical Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on March 26, 2003 at 20:23:22 PT
Lori Montgomery & Craig Whitlock, WP Staff Writers
Source: Washington Post 
The Maryland General Assembly has voted to dramatically reduce penalties for cancer patients and others who smoke marijuana to relieve suffering, and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said yesterday that he is inclined to sign the measure.The bill, which passed the House of Delegates last week and won final approval in the Senate yesterday, would set a fine of $100 for using marijuana out of "medical necessity." Possession otherwise carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
If the bill becomes law, Maryland would become the first state to single out seriously ill marijuana users for relaxed sanctions, although some other states have done more to decriminalize medical marijuana. In recent years, eight states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. A medical marijuana initiative also won approval from District voters but has been blocked by Congress. In addition, 21 states, including Virginia, have approved largely symbolic laws or resolutions recognizing marijuana's medical value.White House drug policy chief John P. Walters lobbied against the Maryland measure and yesterday called on Ehrlich (R) to veto it. Walters, who has launched a campaign against efforts to relax state drug laws, said the General Assembly had been "fooled" by "drug legalizers" who are using the suffering of sick people to promote a pro-drug agenda that includes legalizing marijuana entirely."Unfortunately, they have snuck up on people in Maryland and used them to help the wider effort," Walters said.Walters said he hopes "the governor will see through the con." The argument that marijuana is "a proven, efficacious medicine" makes no more sense than "an argument for medicinal crack," he said.Supporters of the legislation say marijuana offers relief from pain and nausea to people sickened by cancer, AIDS and other illnesses or by medical treatments such as chemotherapy. The Maryland bill is named for Darrell Putman, a former Army Green Beret and Howard County Farm Bureau director who advocated legalizing marijuana for the seriously ill. Putman died of cancer in 1999. "The Maryland legislature has shown the courage to defy the federal drug czar by reducing penalties for medical marijuana right in the back yard of a hostile White House," said Robert Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington nonprofit group that promotes decriminalization. "Science, compassion and common sense -- not to mention 80 percent of the American people -- are on our side." Ehrlich, who co-sponsored a bill in Congress that would have freed states to make their own decisions on the issue, said he would review the measure. "But," he added, "I've been generally supportive of medical marijuana."The bill that passed the Senate yesterday by a vote of 29 to 17 is far different from the original legislation, which would have legalized marijuana for victims of cancer, glaucoma, AIDS or chronic medical conditions upon the advice of a physician. A House committee completely rewrote the measure to make "medical necessity" a defense against the prosecution of marijuana possession and to establish reduced penalties if a judge is persuaded by the argument. The new bill, which does not define "medical necessity," was passed by the House in a 73 to 62 vote.Emotions ran high during the floor debate in the Senate. Opponents called marijuana a "gateway drug" that leads to harder drugs and addiction. Supporters told of watching helplessly as relatives and friends died painful deaths and argued that marijuana could have eased their final days.Sen. Joan Carter Conway (D-Baltimore) recalled how she had "closed the eyes" of several family members after caring for them in their dying moments. "There should be compassion and dignity when your life ends," she said.Sen. David R. Brinkley (R-Frederick), who was found to have cancer in 1989, told how he had seen "a lot of sick people" who suffered from intense pain and a lack of appetite, something he said marijuana could alleviate. He acknowledged concerns that the state was endorsing use of an illegal product."You're right, it is a Catch-22," Brinkley said. "But it's a step in the right direction. These aren't the people we want to prosecute."Opponents questioned the medical benefits of marijuana, but mostly they warned that reducing the punishment for any drug would send the wrong message to Maryland children. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the nation, according to federal officials. Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R-Somerset) said that regardless of why someone uses marijuana, the end result is to enrich drug dealers."Why should we funnel profits into a illegal industry?" he asked. "It's a guise to begin legalizing marijuana. That's what it's all about."Sen. John C. Astle (D-Anne Arundel) asked whether the Senate was endorsing illegal behavior. "Where would these people acquire this marijuana?" he asked. Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Montgomery) replied: "It's up to them. I can't think of a legal source."Sen. Nathaniel Exum (D-Prince George's) said personal experience with someone who is terminally ill might change opponents' minds. He said that his daughter died a painful death from cancer, and that he wished marijuana had been available for her. "Only 25 years old, on her way to a very fruitful life, and we lost her," Exum said. "If we could have gotten her marijuana, we would have done that for her."Source: Washington Post (DC)Author: Lori Montgomery and Craig Whitlock, WP Staff WritersPublished: Thursday, March 27, 2003; Page B01 Copyright: 2003 Washington Post Contact: letterstoed washpost.comWebsite: http://www.washingtonpost.com Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Maryland Governor Gets Medical Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15800.shtmlSenate OKs Medical Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15799.shtmlMoney Talks in Drug Bill Tusslehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15796.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #8 posted by afterburner on March 27, 2003 at 13:27:26 PT:
The Biggest Con Man Squeaks Up Again.
Walters, who has launched a campaign against efforts to relax state drug laws, said the General Assembly had been "fooled" by "drug legalizers" who are using the suffering of sick people to promote a pro-drug agenda that includes legalizing marijuana entirely.I am struck by the contrast between cannabis law reform advocates, who work for little or no money, and the drug czar who wastes billions of taxpayer dollars each year to support his lies about cannabis. When you contrast the technical quality of the Annabelle animation, produced by commercial resources of RealOne Player, with a show like Cronic Corner with Bob Mogy on Pot-TV, produced with a budget of 0$ zero dollars, it is amazing that such dedication exists and that the effects are still amusing and inspiring. The contrast between John P. Walters, who probably couldn't tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about cannabis, even if he were under oath, despite a budget of Billions of Dollars, and a researcher like Virgil, who shares his knowledge for free, just to keep US free, belies the "fooled" by the "con" of a "well-funded lobby" rhetoric.In 2002, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced, "The Administration will develop a new methodology for reporting the drug budget." As a result of this restructuring, this year's reported total budgetary expenditures total less than $12 billion dollars – far less than last year's record $19.2 billion budget.Smoke And Mirrors Cloud 2003 White House Anti-Drug Budget NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- February 13, 2003 http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/15/thread15472.shtmlPurported grass-roots campaigns??#$%^ &*!!
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/14/thread14665.shtml#15The Neverending Campaign Opponents slam wealthy reform backers for bamboozling the public with slick advertising. True, the rich trio and others can spend a couple of million bucks in a single state. But that pales before the taxpayers' own $150 million and more a year. ...According to AdAge.com, various anti-marijuana ads will occupy $60 million worth of advertising between this September and January, 2003. It's all part of a second five-year media campaign that Congress authorized this year at $762 million despite Walters' admission it did not actually lower teen drug use. Drug Warriors Crusade Against Reform Initiatives - October 24, 2002 - http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/14/thread14554.shtmlSince 1996, when the wealthy trio decided to make reining in the drug war a joint cause, they have spent more than $20 million on a state-by-state campaign to chip away at the hard-line policies of the past 15 years. Threesome Fund Growing War On The War On Drugs - May 30, 2001 - http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/9/thread9908.shtml$20 million spent over 5 years by "the wealthy trio," that is $4 million per year. This compares to the ONDCP's anti-marijuana ads at $60 million for 5 months, that is $12 million per *month*!!! Also compare the $150 million and more per year of taxpayer money to oppose "drug" law reform. Question: who is the real "well-funded lobby"?The FBI and Me -- An American Story by Paul Krassner http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionwhyitstimetolegalize.showMessage?topicID=258.topicThe federal government has been trying to outlaw cannabis since the '30s. In 1937, Harry Anslinger, the newly named commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, testified before Congress that "marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death." The American Medical Association opposed passage of the act and recommended that the drug's status as a medicine be maintained. Congress declined to ban marijuana, but in the Marihuana Taxation Act they levied a tax on the crop that had the same practical effect. Timothy Leary, the psychedelic guru, challenged the act after his marijuana arrests in 1965 and 1966. G. Gordon Liddy, a local district attorney in New York who would later be convicted for his involvement in the Watergate break-in, led the raid on Leary's home in Millbrook, N.Y. In 1969, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the act unconstitutional. Not to be deterred, Congress went to work on the Federal Controlled Substances Act in 1970, in which marijuana, heroin and LSD were deemed to be without medical value. Bush's Reefer Madness http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/14/thread14668.shtml 
ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by FoM on March 26, 2003 at 22:39:41 PT
afterburner
I'm not sure I understand what you mean about Pot-TV but if you have an idea I'd sure let them know. Annabelle was shared with me by you when I needed to smile. I was so uptight from the war watching her dance made me relax. I never knew there was such a cute little thing like Annabelle. Thanks again.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by afterburner on March 26, 2003 at 22:23:03 PT:
Cannabis Reform Is a Labor of Love.
Imagine what we could accomplish if we really did have the backing of a "well-funded lobby." Annabelle is obviously a programming product of the success of RealOne Player. If Pot-TV had such resources, their already interesting videos and animations would be visually and aurally more technically smooth.Turn your lights down lowAnd pull your window curtains;Oh, let Jah moon come shining in -Into our life again,Sayin': ooh, it's been a long, long (long, long, long, long) time;-Bob Marleyego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by FoM on March 26, 2003 at 21:52:20 PT
afterburner
That is very good information and true. Thanks!PS: Annabelle is really cool! LOL!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by afterburner on March 26, 2003 at 21:26:26 PT:
J.P. Backs into the Truth Again by Accident.
White House drug policy chief John P. Walters lobbied against the Maryland measure and yesterday called on Ehrlich (R) to veto it. Walters said he hopes "the governor will see through the con." The argument that marijuana is "a proven, efficacious medicine" makes no more sense than "an argument for medicinal crack," he said.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((Cocaine Legal Status
by Erowid--------------------------------------------------------------------------------U.S. FEDERAL LAWU.S. FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS CLASSIFICATION - Stimulant 
LEGAL STATUS - Controlled 
SCHEDULE - Schedule IICocaine and Crack (freebase cocaine) are both DEA schedule II. This is defined federally as a drug which :Has a high potential for abuse. 
Has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions.Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. Federal penalties for cocaine trafficking can be found at the DEA site.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------INTERNATIONAL LAWS :CanadaCocaine is schedule I in Canada. (Note: Canadian schedules are very different than U.S. schedules)U.K.Cocaine is Schedule 2/Class A in the U.K., making it illegal to buy or possess without a prescription.-Erowid Cocaine Vault : Legal Status http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/cocaine/cocaine_law.shtml)))))))))))))))))))))))))According to the DEA's own schedule II, crack cocaine, like cocaine itself, does have "a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions." Therefore, to use John P.'s own logic, medical cannabis makes as much sense as medical crack, which is already acknowledged by the DEA and by the U.K. The more he lies, the more truth slips out!ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by FoM on March 26, 2003 at 21:10:30 PT
News Brief from The Associated Press
Medical Marijuana Legalizations Clears Hurdle 
 
 
 
Hartford-AP, Mar. 26, 2003 11:30 PMA bill to legalize medical marijuana is one step closer to becoming a law. The bill cleared a legislative hurdle today when the Judiciary Committee narrowly voted in favor of the measure, sending it now to the Public Health Committee. The bill allows Connecticut residents with certain debilitating medical conditions to cultivate and use marijuana for medical purposes with restrictions. The bill is similar to laws on the books in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii and Maine. Meriden Representative James Abrams has proposed the legislation for the past couple years. Despite the small victory, some lawmakers said they see no need for the legislation. Copyright: 2003 Associated Press
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by Virgil on March 26, 2003 at 20:55:37 PT
Remember Walter's statement...
after the November 5th elections. He said the reform movement had reached its highwater mark. The reform tide is still coming in and these fundamentalist nutcases are on their way out.The voters of Maryland need to do the reform movement a favor and target the 17 Senators that voted against this very weak legislation. Let's put some fear into these so-called public servants before we replace them. I still think of the countdown to GWP's advent onto the pharmacuetical stage about Christmas. And I wonder how Morocco uses cannabis for medicine as 30% of the people use it and it is socially acceptable. Well, progress marches on, even if slowed by the soon to be embarrassed by history prohibitionists.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 26, 2003 at 20:27:53 PT
Good News
It seems the Governor might sign it. These days even small steps seem like big victories to me.
Medical Marijuana Information Links
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment