cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Reform Bill Moves
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Medical Marijuana Reform Bill Moves
Posted by CN Staff on March 23, 2010 at 05:54:28 PT
By Gene Davis, DDN Staff Writer
Source: Denver Daily News
Colorado -- Local municipalities would have a more difficult time banning retail medical marijuana dispensaries from operating within city limits under an amended medical marijuana reform bill passed by a House committee yesterday.The amended bill’s passage was a victory for medical marijuana activists who argued that allowing cities to ban dispensaries, as described in the original bill, would force sick patients to travel great distances for their medicine. 
But the amendment’s passage also sparked the ire of several conservative lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, who originally planned on voting in the favor of the bill, changed his vote to no after the amendment passed. Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado, a medical marijuana lobbying group, said that as he understands it, a city could still ban dispensaries through a citizen-initiated ballot item. A city could also heavily restrict where dispensaries are located through zoning. PTSD Amendment FailsThe medical marijuana community was less enthusiastic about the narrow defeat of an amendment directing the Department of Health to conduct a hearing on whether Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that could be treated with medical marijuana. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment publicly opposed the measure, saying in a press release “There is no evidence of efficacy of marijuana for treatment of PTSD in the medical literature.” But supporters of the amendment pointed to a New Mexico medical committee advisory saying medical marijuana can be used to effectively treat PTSD. “It’s unfortunate that legislators are hanging veterans out to dry and denying them access to a medicine that has been proved to be effective,” said Mason Tvert of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, a pro-medical marijuana group.Other amendments voted on yesterday include:* An amendment banning the smoking of medical marijuana by patients was killed;* An amendment allowing the consumption of food with medical marijuana within an area of a dispensary where marijuana isn’t being sold passed;* An amendment allowing a caregiver to serve up to 16 patients in municipalities that have banned dispensaries passed;* An amendment dedicating the first $2 million in tax revenue every year generated by medical marijuana towards substance abuse issues passed;Levy said over the weekend that the multiple amendments should make the reform bill which would create a medical marijuana licensing authority within the department of revenue, and allow for the creation of medical marijuana centers that, if they comply with a local jurisdiction’s zoning requirements, could sell medical marijuana to multiple patients more palatable to the medical marijuana community. Vicente agreed yesterday that “the bill is heading in the right direction.” But he remained opposed to the bill’s requirement of having medical marijuana centers grow most of their own medical marijuana themselves. “We need to have a number of growers providing for dispensaries, not just one,” he said. “We think that would help protect the supply of medicine for patients to ensure there is still diversities.”Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, district attorneys and doctors earlier this month voiced their opposition to the bill during a committee hearing. They argued that the measure would legitimize the retail dispensary model, which they see a backdoor way to legalize marijuana.Levy said on Friday that the new amendments don’t address the law enforcement community’s concerns.“They’re opposed to the very concept of the bill, so none of these amendments will remove their objections,” she said.HB 1284 is the second medical marijuana reform bill to make its way through the Legislature this session. The first bill from Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, requires patients under the age of 21 to get a second doctor’s opinion before being able to obtain a medical marijuana card and forbids doctors from receiving money from medical marijuana dispensaries. Denver City Council in January unanimously approved a bill that limits where dispensaries can be located, who can run them, and what safety measures dispensary owners must have in place. All of the bills seek to clarify Amendment 20, the measure approved by voters in 2000 that allows for seriously ill Coloradans to use medical marijuana.Source: Denver Daily News (CO)Author: Gene Davis, DDN Staff WriterPublished: March 23, 2010 Copyright: 2010 Denver Daily NewsContact: editor thedenverdailynews.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/YPZBwQ4uWebsite: http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on March 23, 2010 at 20:42:30 PT
And rightly so, I think.
Just too much busybody nose stuck too far into other people's business."An amendment banning the smoking of medical marijuana by patients was killed;"
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Comment #3 posted by Storm Crow on March 23, 2010 at 13:42:47 PT
And a few more!
My list just keeps growing!
	
Marijuana-Like Compound Banishes Fear  (news - 2002)
http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/news/20020802/marijuana-like-compound-banishes-fearPosttraumatic stress symptom severity predicts marijuana use coping motives among traumatic event-exposed marijuana users (abst - 2007)
http://marijuana.researchtoday.net/archive/4/8/1378.htmModulation of Fear and Anxiety by the Endogenous Cannabinoid System (full - 2007)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2789283/?tool=pmcentrezI hope someone in Denver will print all these articles and studies up and present them to those sadly uneducated gentlemen and ladies. Some of those articles are 8 years old- surely that is enough time for even politicians to take notice of something that affects so many vets!(to whom they owe their jobs and freedom!) The other usual alternatives for PTSD- alcohol and the VA's pills- are simply poisonous! Talking about it can help sometimes, but cannabis allows you to process the pain and begin to heal.And if you're printing things up, run a search on "Dr. Phil Leveque PTSD" for a big bunch of articles by an author who is both an experienced doctor and a sufferer of PTSD! Well, what Denver got is a lot better than what might have been- and I am thankful for that. It is always nice (and somewhat surprising) when common sense prevails.We once lived near this old apartment building that was about 75% Viet Nam vets- some nights you could get high just walking down those ugly, bright purple-carpeted halls! (Whoever chose that color had to be colorblind! lol) But the rent was cheap, the parties frequent, and everyone understood if you had a "bad night"! Virtually every vet I knew back then, said they used it to make life livable! It eased the nightmares and panic attacks. It got rid of the "high alert" feelings. One guy said he felt naked and vulnerable without his gun- unless he was stoned- then he felt "normal" again. I think returning vets should get a packet of seeds, how to grow instructions and a list of cannabis sites! Gardening is such good therapy! Might make their transition easier. 
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Comment #2 posted by dongenero on March 23, 2010 at 10:38:13 PT
CO. Dept. of Public Health
They seem to be a bit sloooowww in their continuing education. Ironic that laymen must point out the studies to the experts. Willful ignorance is unacceptable.The following list courtesy of Storm Crow:POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER/ PTSD
Israel to soothe soldiers with marijuanahttp://newsmine.org/content.php?ol=war-on-terror/israel/israel-to-soothe-soldierswith-
marijuana.txtStudy: Marijuana Eases Traumatic Memorieshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/13/thread13601.shtmlMedical Marijuana: PTSD Medical Malpracticehttp://salem-news.com/articles/june142007/leveque_61407.phpCannabis for the Wounded - Another Walter Reed Scandalhttp://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=179973&Disp=11PTSD and Cannabis: A Clinician Ponders Mechanism of Actionhttp://ccrmg.org/journal/06spr/perspective2.htmlCannabis Eases Post Traumatic Stresshttp://ccrmg.org/journal/06spr/ptsd.htmlEndocannabinoids extinguish bad memories in the brainhttp://www.cannabismed.
org/english/bulletin/ww_en_db_cannabis_artikel.php?id=123#1Natural high helps banish bad memorieshttp://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2616-natural-high-helps-banish-badmemories.
htmlThe use of a synthetic cannabinoid in the management of treatment-resistant
nightmares in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19228182?dopt=AbstractMarijuana could alleviate symptoms of PTSDhttp://israel21c.org/health/marijuana-could-alleviate-symptoms-of-ptsd
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Comment #1 posted by Boulder Patient on March 23, 2010 at 09:24:17 PT
This is fantastic news
We were facing the scary prospect that the state could shut down the entire dispensary system. Now, we are facing much more friendly patient bills. I have not heard yet whether or nor HB 1284 will make doctor referrals tougher to get by requiring seeing more than one doctor.
Boulder Medical Marijuana
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