cannabisnews.com: Committees Pass Medical Marijuana Bill Committees Pass Medical Marijuana Bill Posted by FoM on February 21, 2001 at 13:32:24 PT By Lowry McAllen, Tribune Reporter Source: Albuquerque Tribune Seriously ill patients who might benefit from the pain-relieving, nausea-alleviating effects of marijuana have come a little closer to getting legal relief at the Legislature. But a rough road for passage of the measure is expected in the full House and Senate. Two committees in the Legislature Tuesday passed a bill that would permit some use of marijuana for patients -- like those with AIDS and cancer -- that could receive some therapeutic benefit from the drug. The bill passed the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, with Democrats giving the necessary votes for passage. Three Democrats voted for the bill and one voted against. Two Republicans supported it and two were opposed. Rep. Joe Thompson, an Albuquerque Republican and the bill's sponsor in the House, recognized it will be a challenge to convince some legislators who are undecided on the issue because of "hidden political ramifications" that might accompany a vote in favor of the bill. One of those ramifications, in Thompson's view, is the possible perception that those who vote in favor of the bill could be later portrayed as being soft on drugs. Thompson said he doesn't see his bill as part of an effort to decriminalize drugs in general. "This is so distant from that; I don't see this as drug policy reform," he said after the bill passed the committee. Convincing undecided legislators to support this "Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act" will require showing them that it really is about good medicine, and not about broadening public access to drugs, Thompson said. Thompson's bill, HB 431, is now scheduled to go to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration, after which it could go before the full House. A senator in the Senate Public Affairs Committee that passed an identical version of the bill said Tuesday night that she was voting to support it strictly for medical purposes. Sen. Mary Kay Papen, a Las Cruces Democrat, said she wanted to alleviate the pain that some patients feel who might be best treated by marijuana. Members of that committee, the Senate Public Affairs Committee, voted unanimously to approve the bill. Sen. Steve Komadina said he hoped the bill was not part of a larger attempt to legalize marijuana. He voted in favor of the medical marijuana bill. Komadina, a Corrales Republican and a physician, said he did not want the medical bill to be the "camel's nose peeking under the tent" -- meaning that approving the drug for medical use should not be seen as part of a general push to approve it for non-medical use. Members of the Senate committee pointed out blurry areas that they expected to be clarified when the bill -- SB 319 -- goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee next. One point of regulation they wanted to know more about was who would be cultivating the marijuana. Health Secretary Alex Valdez admitted during the hearing Tuesday night that the exact producer of the legal marijuana for medical use has not been defined yet. "We don't know who is going to be doing the growing and the selling," Valdez said. That regulatory function is supposed to be tackled by the state Health Department, as the bill is currently written. Source: Albuquerque Tribune (NM)Author: Lowry McAllen, Tribune ReporterPublished: February 21, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Albuquerque TribuneAddress: P.O. Drawer T, 7777, Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109Contact: letters abqtrib.comWebsite: http://www.abqtrib.com/Related Articles:Marijuana Bill Clears Two Committeeshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8744.shtmlCommittee Endorses Medical Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8742.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by Aim. on February 21, 2001 at 23:48:55 PT Medicinal use is medicinal use I simply don't understand what the 'moral/religious' arguement is. I fell rock climbing about 6 years ago. I fell 50 feet, shattering my back, breaking my pelvis and leg each in 2 places, and breaking most of my ribs. Among many other internal injuries, I punctured my spinal chord, which left the right side of my body with nerve damage.I have made an amazing recovery, but during the first 6 months after my fall I became badly addicted to the pain pills I took. It was hard to see at the time, and even harder to quit taking them.I am the mother of 3 boys. I haven't taken a pain pill in years. I do , however indulge in marijauna now and again. It immediately relieves the constant live-wire running through my leg. It is free and non-addictive; the days I smoke I am able to perform to my full potential, the days I don't I am slower and in more pain. I am a great mother and am raising my boys well. I have strong morals and values, and have taught my boys the same. And I can tell you that on judgement day when I stand before God, He will be proud that I rose above being addicted to man-made drugs and chose a natural (and MUCH healthier) way to medicate. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by observer on February 21, 2001 at 15:03:12 PT Theme 7: camel's nose peeking under the tent One of those ramifications, in Thompson's view, is the possible perception that those who vote in favor of the bill could be later portrayed as being soft on drugs. . .bill [not] as part of an effort to decriminalize drugs in general . . .he hoped the bill was not part of a larger attempt to legalize marijuana. . .did not want the medical bill to be the "camel's nose peeking under the tent" -- meaning that approving the drug for medical use should not be seen as part of a general push to approve it for non-medical use. . . . Here's the propaganda theme that proponents of jail (for the sick and dying people who use cannabis) that these legislators are responding to. [8.] Policy Options are Presented as Total Prohibition or Total AccessProhibitionists have always characterized themselves as being in a moral/religious battle against evil. This quality of the prohibitionist movements eliminated the option of compromise. The choice as they saw and presented it was total prohibition or total access to the hated drugs. It was not that other methods of controlling use did not exist or would not work; it was the idea that all usage was sinful and must be stopped. Like an ongoing morality play, this same issue gets played out-repeatedly today with a new cast of characters. As bills are introduced to lower criminal penalties for various illicit drugs, one can anticipate any number of legislators standing to attack reduced penalties as an invitation for use and a first step toward legalization of drug X.Themes in Chemical Prohibition, NIDA, 1979http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/ticp.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: