cannabisnews.com: Legalize Medical-Use Marijuana





Legalize Medical-Use Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on May 03, 2004 at 10:30:38 PT
Editorial
Source: Hartford Courant 
For more than two decades, Connecticut lawmakers have sought a way to legalize marijuana use by patients suffering from cancer, AIDS and other severe illnesses.Last week, the House voted 75 to 71 to follow the lead of a few other states that permit sufferers to grow marijuana indoors as long as they first obtain a physician's certificate. The Senate has yet to vote.
At best, this is a stopgap that pits the federal ban on all marijuana use against state laws intended to provide pain relief when a doctor certifies that smoking pot would be effective. Although some legislatures are saying it is legal to inhale marijuana for medical purposes under state law, it remains illegal to buy the substance under federal law. That means patients, even those who have a doctor's certificate, still have no legal way to obtain marijuana or the seeds from which it grows.Only Congress can resolve the conflict. One pending bill would authorize states to grow marijuana and distribute it to patients with doctors' certificates. That's a sensible approach provided there is a consensus among health care providers that the treatment provides relief from some pain and suffering experienced by seriously ill patients.The proposed Connecticut measure would require that patients register with the state, a necessary safeguard. In Oregon, which has a similar law, about 9,000 patients have state-issued cards allowing them to smoke pot.But patients, often terminally ill, still face arrest under federal law if convicted of smoking physician-certified marijuana. Congress ought to resolve this legal discrepancy so that medical users need not live in fear. Source: Hartford Courant (CT)Published: May 3, 2004 Copyright: 2004 The Hartford CourantContact: letters courant.comWebsite: http://www.ctnow.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmMedical Pot Bill Advanceshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18754.shtmlMedical Use Of Marijuana Supportedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18752.shtmlPot Bill OK'd by House, Then Sent To Committee http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18751.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by tokenitallup4162 on May 05, 2004 at 11:38:45 PT:
A Positive step
  at least there is a POSITIVE step here. just getting the representataives, to listen, is a big step. thats more than I can say about my state!
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on May 03, 2004 at 11:01:21 PT
Paging Dr. Russo :-)
The connection between exercise and reduced suffering from cancer -- might it not be simply because exericse raises the level of cannabinoids in the body?http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-cancerexercise3may03,1,4935079.story?coll=la-home-healthThat would be an interesting idea to float to these people.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 03, 2004 at 10:49:18 PT
News Brief from WXAN
Texans For Medical MarijuanaMay 3, 2004A new group called Texans for Medical Marijuana is trying to get the word out about so-called health benefits for a sick person who smokes pot. The group hopes to get the drug legalized in the state. Right now, members are trying to educate the public and get as many signatures as they can on a petition. The group says many people who have diseases like cancer, HIV and glaucoma can ease the painful symptoms of their illness by smoking pot. The group also says many doctors believe marijuana is an effective way to help patients. "People now are going to jail for using marijuana for any reason, and we're trying to protect people from going to jail when they are using marijuana as a medicine with the recommendation of their doctor. People who experience nausea, people who experience chronic pain," Noelle Davis with Texans for Medical Marijuana said.
 http://www.texansformedicalmarijuana.org/
 http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=1835060&nav=0s3dMn6p
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