cannabisnews.com: Delegate Still Seeks Legal Marijuana Use





Delegate Still Seeks Legal Marijuana Use
Posted by FoM on February 09, 2001 at 10:03:37 PT
By Sarah Koenig, Sun Staff
Source: Baltimore Sun
In his crusade to decriminalize marijuana use for medical purposes, a Baltimore County delegate is wooing what might appear to be an unlikely group of potential supporters: conservative Republicans. "It's a very conservative position to hold," said the bill's primary sponsor, Del. Donald E. Murphy, a Republican. "It's saying to government, 'Leave me alone.' Are we going to tell people we know better than their doctors?" 
Yesterday marked the second time Murphy has introduced legislation in the General Assembly that would exempt from prosecution patients whose doctors advise smoking marijuana to ease the pain and nausea associated with treatment for cancer and AIDS, among other diseases. The bill failed in the House Judiciary Committee last year, and its chances are slim this session. "I have a hard time getting over the fact that it's currently against state and federal law," said Del. Ann Marie Doory, a Baltimore Democrat and the committee vice chair. Because Murphy believes he can't count on conservative Democrats, he is hoping to patch together a majority coalition by persuading Republicans to join him. "I think some Democrats are afraid to pass this bill because they think in the next election people will say, 'Oh, soft on crime, soft on drugs,'" he said. He has been lobbying Republican delegates such as Carmen Amedori of Carroll County, who also sits on the Judiciary Committee. Yesterday, she called the idea "risky" and added, "I think the bill promotes illegal drug use under the guise of medicine." Murphy has gathered a list of co-sponsors. Of the 29 names, he is especially proud of the nine GOP signatures, including that of House Minority Leader Robert H. Kittleman of Howard County. An identical bill has been introduced in the Senate. Robert D. Kampia, executive director of the Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project, shares Murphy's optimism. Of the 25 states considering similar legislation, Maryland is one of three he thinks could pass it (along with New Mexico and Massachusetts) because of the bipartisan support. "In some states, it's typically something only liberals advocate," he said. Eight states allow medical marijuana use. To remind reporters and lawmakers of yesterday's news conference, Murphy passed out prescription bottles containing oregano, a dead ringer for marijuana, and delivered pizza to the State House press room. Today, he will begin two radio ads costing more than $1,000 each, on WBAL and WCBM in Baltimore, stations he described as politically conservative. His campaign fund is paying for one ad, an advocacy group the other. In one, the widow of a cancer victim tells listeners about her husband's weight loss during chemotherapy and radiation treatments. "Although it put us at risk of arrest, friends and doctors finally convinced him to try using marijuana to stimulate his appetite," says Shay Putman of Woodbine. "It worked, and he regained enough weight and strength to undergo a stem cell transplant." Murphy's latest bill authorizes the health department to keep track of patients allowed to use marijuana. It also details limits on the amount they would be permitted: three mature plants, four immature plants and an ounce of usable marijuana per mature plant. Note: GOP support sought on a bill to approve it for medical purposes. Source: Baltimore Sun (MD) Author: Sarah Koenig, Sun StaffPublished: February 9, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Baltimore Sun, a Times Mirror Newspaper. Address: 501 N. Calvert Street P.0. Box 1377 Baltimore, MD 21278 Fax: (410) 315-8912 Contact: letters baltsun.comWebsite: http://www.sunspot.net/ Forum: http://www.sunspot.net/cgi-bin/ultbb/Ultimate.cgi?Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Bipartisan Bloc Backs Legalizing Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8613.shtmlMarijuana Bill Draws Support http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8612.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #3 posted by Dan Hillman on February 09, 2001 at 11:08:41 PT
Right and Left: trading places
>"I think some Democrats are afraid to pass this bill because they think in the next election people will say, 'Oh, soft on crime, soft on drugs,'" he said. Yes, precisely. This is why Al Gore turned his back on hundreds of thousands of medpot patients and condemned medical cannabis late in the prez campaign. He showed that there is no point in looking to the "democrats", or the "left" for any kind of leadership on this issue.  Dissent against the drug war *within* the political right-wing constitutes the strongest (some would say ONLY) hope for actual reform in 2001-2002.
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Comment #2 posted by meagain on February 09, 2001 at 10:48:38 PT
drugs and crime
"I think some Democrats are afraid to pass this bill because they think in the next election people will say, 'Oh,   soft on crime, soft on drugs,'" he said. These legislators need to realize that drugs and crime are two different things we want them to be tough on crime yes but drugs needs a different approach called compassion.the only way to win this war is treatment and when necessary maintenance dosages .All other efforts are fultile.
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Comment #1 posted by Duzt on February 09, 2001 at 10:32:46 PT
Umm, excuse me...
I'm happy to see someone trying to get people to vote to allow medical marijuana. My problem is with the way the media mis-portrays everything. It's so blatantly obvious when a writer knows nothing about the topic of which they are speaking. "To remind reporters and lawmakers of yesterday's news conference, Murphy passed out prescription bottles containing oregano, a dead ringer for marijuana". What? Oregano? "A dead ringer"? What is she smoking? Oregano looks absolutely nothing like marijuana buds, which are the only acceptable part of the plant to use for medicinal purposes. 
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