cannabisnews.com: Poll: SD Favors Medical Marijuana 










  Poll: SD Favors Medical Marijuana 

Posted by FoM on January 21, 2001 at 10:11:17 PT
By Bill Harlan  
Source: Rapid City Journal 

Most South Dakotans favor legalizing medical marijuana and industrial hemp, according to a statewide poll. The telephone survey of 505 registered voters showed that: • 81.6 percent favored legalizing marijuana for seriously ill people, if a doctor prescribed it. 
• 84.9 percent favored letting farmes grow and sell industrial hemp. • 95.2 percent were against arresting and imprisoning sick people using marijuana with a doctor's approval. Creative Broadcast Systems, Inc., of Spearfish, conducted the poll for the South Dakota Industrial Hemp Council (SDIHC), an interest group, and for the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C., group which favors legalizing marijuana for medical use. Bob Newland of Hermosa, co-founder of the SDIHC, said, "This simply demonstrates that properly informed voteres are opposed to the obviously flawed governmental policies concerning hemp and marijuana." Possession of marijuana in South Dakota currently is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1000 fine. "This is a situation where existing law is simply and massively out of touch with reality," Newland said. On Friday, state Sen. Ron Volesky (D-Huron), introduced Senate Bill 73, which would legalize marijuana for medical purposes for glaucoma and cancer chemotherapy patients who get a doctor's prescription. Newland favored a different measure, which he hopes a legislator will introduce this week. Any bill to legalize medical marijuana or industrial hemp is likely to have powerful opposition. House Speaker Scott Eccarius (R-Rapid City), who is alos an eye surgeon, said drugs which were already available were more effective than marijuana. To treat glaucoma with marijuana, he said, "You'd literally have to be stoned all the time." Eccarius also said he was worried that legalizing marijuana or hemp would be a "Trojan horse" that would lead to general legalization of marijuana. "I'm opposed to it," he said. Rep. Tom Hennies (R-Rapid City), a retired police chief, said he favors medical relief for the seriously or terminally ill, including marijuana. He has two stipulations: A doctor must prescribe it and a pharmacist must deliver it. He opposes patients growing their own or distribution through small shops, as in San Francisco. Hennies said if the Senate passes the bill without that requirement, he would sponsor that amendment in the House. If the bill passes, South Dakota would be joining other states which want Congress to debate medical use of mArijuan, which remains illegal under federal law, Hennies said. Note: Two legislators say the drug's use should be opposed or limited. Source: Rapid City Journal (SD)Author: Bill Harlan Published: January 16, 2001Copyright: 2001 Rapid City Journal Address: PO Box 450, Rapid City SD 57709 Fax: (605) 394-8463 Contact: randy.rasmussen rapidcityjournal.com Website: http://www.rapidcityjournal.com South Dakota Industrial Hemp Councilhttp://www.sodakhemp.org/South Dakota NORMLhttp://www.sodaknorml.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/To track this bill as it proceeds through the systemhttp://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2001/bills/SB73p.htm

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