cannabisnews.com: Legalizing of Medical Marijuana is Urged Legalizing of Medical Marijuana is Urged Posted by FoM on February 15, 2001 at 11:29:14 PT By Kersten Swinyard, Deseret News Staff Writer Source: Deseret News It was no coincidence the Therapeutic Humane Cannabis Political Issues Committee chose Valentine's Day to launch its petition drive for legalizing medicinal marijuana use. "We chose Valentine's Day because this issue demands compassion," committee member Ben Valdez Jr. said. "It's a higher calling to love those we don't know." The organization, abbreviated simply as THC (which is also the acronym for the most active ingredient in marijuana), views legalized marijuana use as a humanity issue because some cancer and terminally ill patients have found the main component of marijuana eases their nausea and sparks hunger. If the group got its way, doctors would be allowed to write prescriptions for marijuana for patients in serious pain without fear of prosecution. It's no different from a physician prescribing a bottle of Lortab or morphine, said THC Chairman Ken Larsen. "Just about every chemical on the planet has medical application," Larsen said. "I don't think it's government's or society's job to second-guess a doctor who we presume is a professional." In order to get its proposal on the November 2002 general election, THC must garner 76,000 signatures from registered Utah voters — a hefty task considering it has only about 240 so far and a little more than a year before the June 1, 2002, deadline. THC was heartened by the passage of ballot proposition 215 in 1996 by California voters, but the Utah Attorney General's office said THC shouldn't expect any TLC from Utah voters. "The predominant philosophy towards marijuana is that there's not enough data to support medical applications. No one in state government is ready to accept marijuana as medicine," said Scott Reed, consumer rights division chief and former narcotics enforcement specialist for the attorney general. "There's not any great excitement or anticipation for this (petition drive)." In 1999, the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice recorded 1,188 arrests for marijuana possession. Although the ballot initiative would only provide for prescription marijuana and not completely legalize the drug, it would make it more difficult to prosecute charges of possession, Larsen conceded.Source: Deseret News (UT) Author: Kersten Swinyard, Deseret News Staff WriterPublished: February 15, 2001Copyright: 2001 Deseret News Publishing Corp. Contact: letters desnews.com Website: http://www.desnews.com/E-mail: kswinyard desnews.com Information about medicinal use of cannabis and the petition drive are online at: Utah Therapeutic Humane Cannabis (THC) Acthttp://www.thc2002.org/Utahan's Campaigning for Medical Use of Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8653.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by Imprint on February 16, 2001 at 00:32:41 PT: Good Luck Utah Hope you folks in Utah are successful! There are patents that need this herb. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by meagain on February 15, 2001 at 12:37:16 PT go Utah !!! People of Utah you are up to bat the nation is looking at you !Don't let us down [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: