cannabisnews.com: Senate Passes Bill To Permit Medical Marijuana Use





Senate Passes Bill To Permit Medical Marijuana Use
Posted by CN Staff on May 01, 2007 at 13:21:59 PT
By Mark Brunswick, Star Tribune
Source: Star-Tribune
Minnesota -- In a historic vote that opponents said signalled a "cultural sea change" for Minnesota, a bill allowing patients to use medical marijuana won preliminary approval in the Minnesota Senate today by a vote of 33 to 31. The bill would allow patients who qualify to have up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and to receive similar amounts on a regular basis by groups set up to dispense the drug.
The bill does not legalize marijuana. It is in conflict with federal law, which makes the possession of marijuana illegal. Doctors would recommend medical marijuana to patients but would not actually prescribe it. Twelve other states have medical marijuana laws."Is it for everybody? No. Its for those people who have a debilitating disease or pain that is intractable," said Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, the sponsor of the bill. "This has the potential of helping hundreds and potentially thousands of families across Minnesota in dealing with pain and end-of-life issues."It requires patients to register and have a card through the Minnesota Department of Health. Non-profits can be established to grow and distribute the medical marijuana with up to 12 plants per patient.Opponents suggested during debate that the bill could be part of an organized attempt to throw out all laws dealing with marijuana and that its use would increase access and potential abuse, particularly among the young. There were also concerns that the non-profits where the marijuana is grown could become targets for crime if they are set up as storefront operations, which the bill would allow."Some people believe that smoking marijuana is beneficial to them and relieves pain," said Sen. David Hann, Eden Prairie, who described the measure as "very troubling."Marijuana is a dangerous drug. We have decided we are going to circumvent all those procedures used to handle dangerous drugs."The vote today was the first time a medical marijuana bill has made it to a floor vote in either the House or Senate in Minnesota, the culmination of almost a decade of attempts by supporters to garner legislative approval.A similar measure passed House Finance Committee today and is headed to the House Ways and Means Committee before a possible floor vote. The vote in the House, which changed into a DFL-majority in November, is likely to be more problematic for supporters than in the Senate, where it reached the floor in 2006 before dying without a vote when the Legislature adjourned. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has sympathized with objections to the law from law enforcement and has said he would veto a bill establishing medical marijuana.Patients who qualify would include those suffering debilitating conditions and intractable pain such as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS-HIV, and Tourette's Syndrome.Note: For the first time, a chamber of the Minnesota Legislature approved medical use of marijuana in defiance of federal law.SF345: http://tinyurl.com/3b475zSource: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN) Author: Mark Brunswick, Star TribunePublished: May 01, 2007 Copyright: 2007 Star Tribune Contact: opinion startribune.com Website: http://www.startribune.com/ Related Articles:Marijuana Bills Curling Through Legislaturehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22917.shtmlSenate Panel Narrowly Approves Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22861.shtmlOver Police Objections, House OKs MMJ Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22779.shtml
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on May 02, 2007 at 07:14:21 PT
This article
I've started to post several times on this article, and decided not to.There is so much that makes me so angry in this article. The first part is fine. The last part is sickening.First, "Opponents suggested during debate that the bill could be part of an organized attempt to throw out all laws dealing with marijuana and that its use would increase access and potential abuse, particularly among the young."Every time they speak of citizens trying to fight these unjust laws, they say "organized" and "highly organized" and "well organized"...like it's a crime to be organized. I think they like to use the word "organized" in this case, to try and make people make a connection with "organized" crime...instead of just organized. Before this prohibitionist tactic...it was a good thing to be well organized. Now they make it a slur. "Marijuana is a dangerous drug." Good grief! Has this unknowledgable person never heard of all the drugs we have, and legal ones, that can, and do, maim and kill? He's supposed to be a lawmaker...and he's that ignorant of the facts of things he's supposed to vote on?"Tim Pawlenty has sympathized with objections to the law from law enforcement and has said he would veto a bill establishing medical marijuana." I guess Pawlenty isn't really the governor of the people but the pawn of law enforcement. He's saying he will refuse to help these people who need help, unless Law Enforcers tell him they approve of his helping?When did we become a police state? When, in this "free" nation, did paid law enforcers, public servants, become the last word on deciding what laws the state should and should not pass? When was the coup that they took over our government and governors with? I'm thinking that's what the War on Drugs actually is...a law enforcement and prohibitionist coup. They took over.We're "owned" by our so called leaders and law enforcement. I despise feeling or being treated like I'm "owned" by any person. I'm horrified at the thought of anyone being owned by anyone.This isn't just about laws. It's about life and death. It's about freedom and rights. It's about misery and suffering and cruelty and bigotry. It's about right and wrong. 
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Comment #10 posted by Dankhank on May 02, 2007 at 04:23:12 PT
Vaporization ...
this topic is from another thread, but look what appeared this morning ...http://alternet.org/drugreporter/51277/
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on May 01, 2007 at 20:27:49 PT
Common Questions About Medical Marijuana
Minnesota - May 1, 2007
 • Would the law legalize marijuana? No. It would allow patients to use marijuana with doctor approval (and parental approval for minors). They could not use the drug in public places or schools, or drive while under the influence. They would have to be suffering from "a debilitating medical condition" such as an illness that causes pain, seizures or nausea. An HIV-AIDS patient whose condition has worsened, for example, could qualify to use marijuana. But opponents contend the definitions are too open-ended.• Doesn't the proposal conflict with federal drug laws? Federal law prohibits the sale, use and cultivation of marijuana. But enforcement is generally left up to local agencies. In the 12 states where similar laws are in effect, prosecutors have not generally pursued cases in which marijuana is being sold for medical use.• What states are those? Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. • Where would patients get the marijuana? Patients would have to obtain their marijuana from a registered organization, which could maintain up to 12 plants per patient.Copyright: 2007 Star Tribune Sources: Star Tribune: http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/medical SF345: http://tinyurl.com/3b475z
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Comment #8 posted by The GCW on May 01, 2007 at 18:35:19 PT
Pawlenty gives youth a sick and evil message.
There must be a lot of youth waiting for the state to legalize the devil weed, before they start to use it.Youth is not going to smoke the evil, evil weed unless politicians say it is ok for the sick to use.-0-"But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" (see: 1 John 3:17). 
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Comment #7 posted by mayan on May 01, 2007 at 18:17:34 PT
"Dangerous" Drugs
"Some people believe that smoking marijuana is beneficial to them and relieves pain," said Sen. David Hann, Eden Prairie, who described the measure as "very troubling."Marijuana is a dangerous drug. We have decided we are going to circumvent all those procedures used to handle dangerous drugs."It's obvious to even the most ignorant that the most dangerous drugs are perfectly legal. Sen. David Hann needs to get a real argument!THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...David Ray Griffin debunks the official 9/11 story:
http://commonground.ca/iss/0705190/cg190_griffin.shtmlNo Airfones on Flight 77 - DRG on Jack Blood:
http://911blogger.com/node/8247Loose Change 2 to be In-Flight Movie for Virgin Atlantic: 
http://prisonplanet.com/articles/may2007/010507virgin.htmDebunkers Use Ludicrous Freeway Comparison To Attack 9/11 Truth:
http://tinyurl.com/26g6xeFreeway Collapse Bears No Relation To WTC Buildings:
http://stopthelie.com/freeway_collapse.htmlRosie got boot because she dared to ask tough questions:
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/208988
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Comment #6 posted by Sam Adams on May 01, 2007 at 15:17:14 PT
Growing strong
"Some people believe that smoking marijuana is beneficial to them and relieves pain," said Sen. David Hann, Eden Prairie, who described the measure as "very troubling."Marijuana is a dangerous drug. We have decided we are going to circumvent all those procedures used to handle dangerous drugs."This guy is from Eden Prairie, yet he tries to burn down what Jah provide.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on May 01, 2007 at 15:05:26 PT
RevRayGreen
That would be a good thing.
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Comment #4 posted by RevRayGreen on May 01, 2007 at 14:52:55 PT
Please
Bob Barr try and talk some sense into Gov. Pawlenty, "it's the right thing to do." If Ventura was still Govna', this would be a done deal.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 01, 2007 at 14:28:44 PT
AP: How Senate Voted on Medical Marijuana
Minnesota -- Votes Tuesday as the Senate, on a preliminary vote of 33-31, approved a bill to legalize medical marijuana. Voting yes were 30 Democrats and 3 Republicans. Voting no were 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans. DEMOCRATS VOTING YES Anderson (St. Paul); Bakk (Cook); Berglin (Minneapolis); Betzold (Fridley); Bonoff (Minnetonka); Carlson (Eagan); Clark (St. Cloud); Cohen (St. Paul); Dibble (Minneapolis); Doll (Burnsville); Erickson Ropes (Winona); Foley (Coon Rapids); Higgins (Minneapolis); Larson (Bloomington); Latz (St. Louis Park); Lourey (Kerrick); Marty (Roseville); Metzen (South St. Paul); Moua (St. Paul); Murphy (Red Wing); Pappas (St. Paul); Pogemiller (Minneapolis); Prettner Solon (Duluth); Rest (New Hope); Saltzman (Woodbury); Saxhaug (Grand Rapids); Sieben (Newport); Tomassoni (Chisholm); Torres Ray (Minneapolis); Wiger (North St. Paul) DEMOCRATS VOTING NO Kubly (Granite Falls); Langseth (Glyndon); Lynch (Rochester); Olseen (Harris); Olson, M. (Bemidji); Rummel (White Bear Lake); Sheran (Mankato); Skoe (Clearbrook); Skogen (Hewitt); Sparks (Austin); Vickerman (Tracy) DEMOCRATS NOT VOTING Chaudhary (Fridley); Scheid (Brooklyn Park); Stumpf (Plummer) REPUBLICANS VOTING YES Johnson (Ham Lake); Koering (Fort Ripley); Michel (Edina) REPUBLICANS VOTING NO Day (Owatonna); Dille (Dassel); Fischbach (Paynesville); Frederickson (New Ulm); Gerlach (Apple Valley); Gimse (Willmar); Hann (Eden Prairie); Ingebrigtsen (Alexandria); Jungbauer (East Bethel); Koch (Buffalo); Limmer (Maple Grove); Neuville (Northfield); Olson, G. (Minnetrista); Ortman (Chanhassen); Pariseau (Farmington); Robling (Jordan); Rosen (Fairmont); Senjem (Rochester); Vandeveer (Forest Lake); Wergin (Princeton) Copyright: 2007 Associated Press http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1156514.html
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on May 01, 2007 at 14:24:58 PT
State Senator's Thoughts on Medical Marijuana
Submitted by Mark Olson on May 1, 2007  Commentary: By Julianne Ortman Minnesota -- I have voted “no” five times on the “medical marijuana” bill in Senate Committees, and now on the Senate floor. I feel great compassion and concern for the Minnesota residents who believe that marijuana might help them to relieve their pain at the end of their life. Nonetheless I cannot help them.The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has never approved marijuana for medicinal use; accordingly, doctors are prohibited from prescribing it, and pharmacists may not dispense it. There is no way for the terminally ill to obtain marijuana except from an illegal source. Current law makes it illegal to buy or sell plants, seeds, or any marijuana plant product. The proposed legislation would allow for chronically ill (not just terminally ill) residents to possess up to 2.5 ounces of the strongest marijuana available, and to do so with legal immunity. Everyone may apply, with the written “recommendation” from a nurse, physician assistant or licensed physician. No one can be denied a “user card,” not even those who have been convicted of violent crimes, drug crimes, or are still on supervision. For a fee of $1,000 you can buy your way to unfettered, unlimited, legal use and possession of marijuana. The bill also authorizes “primary caregivers” to pick-up and deliver this drug with legal immunity. And the bill authorizes the development of dispensaries (“registered nonprofit organizations”) that may grow up to 12 plants (3 pounds) per patient. They may sell this marijuana to people with “user cards” out of business centers, shopping malls, in storefronts in our smallest towns, and down on the corner in north Minneapolis. With this legislation, growing and dispensing marijuana will become a legal business in Minnesota.Several other states have approved the use of medicinal marijuana, but the U.S. Supreme Court has held that all such uses and sales of marijuana are still violations of federal drug laws. Violators can and will be prosecuted, even if Minnesota law exempts them from penalties in Minnesota. More importantly, the experiences of those states show significant issues of abuse; in California one psychiatrist “recommended” 11,000 patients for such treatment; kids in California have started a black market on the “user cards” and are bringing marijuana to school with the legal immunity provided by the card.This proposal sends a horribly mixed set of messages: to law enforcement, to kids, to drug dealers, and to law-abiding residents of our state. Imagine what our world would look like if an officer pulls over someone and finds 2.5 ounces of marijuana on the front seat. The driver pulls out a “user card,” so now the officer must stop his work. The officer would need separate probable cause to search for a gun or other drugs in the vehicle. How do we train officers for dealing with the crime that will occur around these dispensaries, when many of the people at these so-called “businesses” will have a “user card,” creating legal immunity? Do we really think that the same people who might need this drug to address their illness might not also need money and be willing to sell their excess marijuana? Do we really think that those intending to buy and sell marijuana to feed their own habits of crack and meth won’t find a way to steal it or buy it from the vulnerable? And what about the violent gang members who make it their business to buy and sell drugs? Last year there were more than two dozen murders in Minneapolis where marijuana transactions were involved. Imagine a world where school teachers, bus drivers and custodians can legally possess marijuana, and the superintendent, parents, and school board don’t know. Imagine a world where sickly grandparents and patients in nursing homes have marijuana in their drawers. Our children know how to find ways to buy alcohol and cigarettes illegally, and they know how to sneak liquor from cabinets.If adopted, this legislation will increase access, increase abuse, and increase crime. The risks and consequences associated with being compassionate in this case are too great. I believe that if we temper our compassion with our good judgment, we simply cannot allow this proposal to become law in Minnesota. Proponents of “medical marijuana” should direct their efforts at the FDA to investigate, study, and approve marijuana for medicinal use. Then doctors and physicians can manage the use of this drug like all others. Until then, the American Medical Association, the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Chiefs of Police, the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association, the Minnesota County Attorneys Association and Julianne Ortman are all against it.State Senator Julianne Ortman, whose district includes Chaska and Carver, was elected to her first term in 2002. Ortman is Assistant Minority Leader and Lead Republican Senator on Tax Committee. She can be reached at (651) 296-4837 or e-mail at sen.julianne.ortman senate.mnCopyright 2007 Southwest Newspapers http://www.chaskaherald.com/node/1539
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 01, 2007 at 13:31:16 PT
AP: Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill 
May 1, 2007 
ST. PAUL (AP) -- A bill to legalize marijuana for those suffering from cancer, AIDS and persistent pain barely made it through the Minnesota Senate on Tuesday.The bill passed on a preliminary vote of 33-31, after debate over the agonies of the sick and the danger of sending mixed messages to youth about illegal drugs. It needs at least 34 supporters to survive a final Senate vote.Marijuana is illegal under federal law, but some severely ill patients say smoking pot is the only way to relieve their symptoms. Minnesota would become the 13th state to approve the drug for medical use if the bill became law - an unlikely scenario, given Gov. Tim Pawlenty's opposition.The Senate proposal would grant immunity from state drug laws to patients with cancer, AIDS, wasting syndrome, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease or persistent pain that wasn't eased by other drugs. Their physicians would have to recommend marijuana in writing."This has the potential of helping hundreds and potentially thousands of families in Minnesota to deal with issues of pain and end-of-life issues," said Sen. Steve Murphy, the bill's sponsor.Opponents warned that legalizing marijuana - even for the benefit of a small group - would make the drug more widely available and could have unintended consequences for youth."Marijuana is going to be available in homes just like aspirin or other drugs on the shelf, even though we know that marijuana is often a gateway drug for young people that leads them into more serious drugs," said Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji."The kids know how to find alcohol in their parents' cabinets," said Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen. "They'll find this marijuana."Critics including Pawlenty said the bill would make it harder for police and sheriffs to enforce drug laws. The GOP governor said his opposition is based on their objections."They are concerned about it from a law enforcement standpoint as well as the message it sends to the public more broadly," Pawlenty said. "If law enforcement can get comfortable with the bill, I would consider it."The bill also cleared the House Finance Committee on a 20-14 vote. The debate there was similar to the Senate's. The House version has one more panel to go before it reaches the floor."Marijuana is a gateway drug, plain and simple," said Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder. "For those of you who think this has all the protections, you've got your head in the sand."Rep. Tom Huntley, the bill's House sponsor, said the proposal was narrowly tailored for those with "chronic, consistent and intractable pain."The bills would set up a registry for medical marijuana users, who would pay up to $100 for special identification cards from the state Health Department. Data on their identities would be private, but law enforcement could check whether a person was registered.Lying to get a medical marijuana card would be a felony punishable with up to five years in prison and up to $10,000. Selling or giving away a card or medical marijuana would be punished under regular state drug laws - plus an extra penalty of up to two years in prison or $3,000.---Martiga Lohn may be reached at mlohn ap.orgCopyright 2007 by The Associated Press 
http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S74349.shtml?cat=89
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