cannabisnews.com: Committee Endorses Medical Marijuana Bill 










  Committee Endorses Medical Marijuana Bill 

Posted by FoM on February 21, 2001 at 06:55:05 PT
By S.U. Mahesh, Journal Capitol Bureau 
Source: Albuquerque Journal 

A bill to legalize marijuana for the treatment of patients with certain medical conditions cleared its first hurdle Tuesday. The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee endorsed the Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act by a 5-3 vote, with two Republicans and one Democrat opposing the measure. The legislation would update New Mexico's existing Lynn Pierson Act, adopted in 1978. Under that act, patients could receive medical marijuana only as part of a medical research program.
  The medical marijuana bill is one of the several drug-related reform measures supported by Gov. Gary Johnson.  The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Thompson, R-Albuquerque, would allow the use of marijuana to debilitating medical conditions, such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma and seizures.  A similar measure has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Roman Maes, D-Santa Fe.  Health Secretary Alex Valdez told the House committee that his department would administer the medical marijuana program.  Valdez added, however, that a task force would be established to determine who would cultivate and distribute the marijuana.  The New Mexico District Attorney's Association has opposed the bill because it feels the Health Department would have control of the program without any independent oversight.  At the hearing before the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, several people urged committee members to endorse the proposal.  James Patterson, a quadriplegic who suffers from chronic spasms, told the committee that he smoked marijuana for six weeks to see if it would relieve his pain.  "I was amazed what it did for my spasms," said Patterson, who was injured in a diving accident near Artesia in 1995.  Lynne Jackman told the committee that her husband, Vernon Jackman, died of lung cancer four months ago and that he used marijuana to relieve his pain.  Jackman said she made marijuana butter and used it in cooking. "It relieved his pain, nausea and vomiting," she said.  The measure would give immunity to qualified patients and their physicians from being prosecuted on drug charges if the amount of marijuana they used was within the prescribed limits.  However, it would not remove qualified patients from liability for damages or criminal prosecution arising out of driving while intoxicated on marijuana. Patients also could be prosecuted for smoking pot on a school bus, on school property, in public vehicles and public places.Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)Author: S.U. Mahesh, Journal Capitol BureauPublished: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Albuquerque JournalAddress: P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103Contact: opinion abqjournal.comWebsite: http://www.abqjournal.com/ CannabisNews Articles - Governor Gary Johnsonhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=gary+johnson

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