cannabisnews.com: Legal Protection Urged for Medical Marijuana Legal Protection Urged for Medical Marijuana Posted by FoM on February 28, 2001 at 07:20:58 PT By Christy Hoppe, The Dallas Morning News Source: Dallas Morning News Doctors, nurses and victims of chronic illness urged lawmakers Tuesday to give them the legal cover to use marijuana to relieve pain and suffering. The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee debated whether to provide an automatic defense to possession of marijuana if a physician recommended its use for a medical condition.Opponents argued that doctors can prescribe a pill that contains the main chemical element of marijuana and that the bill could serve as an opening for legalizing the drug. Bill author Rep. Terry Keel, R-Austin, a former prosecutor and Travis County sheriff, said his proposal would not legalize marijuana but serve as a "careful, prudent step" to give those suffering from disease one more treatment.Under the bill, which appeared to have the support of a majority of committee members, those arrested on marijuana possession charges could argue in court that they were suffering from a serious ailment.They would need a medical doctor's support. If the court believed their evidence, the offenders would be found not guilty.Mr. Keel said he polled almost 10,000 constituents in his conservative district and found they heavily favored the proposal.He said some colleagues expressed shock that he had filed the bill, but none of the prosecutors or police officers he had worked with was surprised.Those in law enforcement already use some discretion in dismissing medical marijuana cases they might encounter, but this bill provides direction for those who do not, Mr. Keel said."If a police officer would arrest someone who falls under the circumstances I described, they don't have enough to do," he said.Rep. Robert E. Talton, R-Pasadena, said he thinks the bill is backed by, "what appears to me as a movement to legalize marijuana."He said that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration does not think there is a valid medicinal benefit from smoking marijuana.Dr. Dick Evans, director of the Texas Cancer Center in Houston, said there are numerous benefits from inhaled marijuana for those undergoing chemotherapy or suffering from AIDS, terminal cancer, muscle spasms, paralysis, glaucoma and chronic pain.He cited a national survey of oncologists where 44 percent said they would recommend marijuana to patients."Sick Texans deserve better treatment," he said.Dr. Alan Robison, distinguished professor of pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said that marijuana in pill form is hard for many patients to ingest.He also said Marinol is erratically absorbed in bloodstreams and "it is invariably toxic. In other words, the patients get high. It is an irritating side effect."With a few puffs of a marijuana cigarette, the effect is immediate and controlled so that the bad symptoms dissipate but the side effects are not evident.Committee members said they would review studies by medical institutions and the DEA before voting on the bill in the next few weeks. Note: Critics worry drug would gain legitimacy.Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Author: Christy Hoppe, The Dallas Morning NewsPublished: February 28, 2001Copyright: 2000 The Dallas Morning News Address: P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265 Fax: (972) 263-0456 Contact: letterstoeditor dallasnews.com Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Feedback: http://dmnweb.dallasnews.com/letters/ Related Articles & Web Site:Details on HB513, Texas Medical Marijuana Bill http://www.normltexas.org/HB513.htmDoctors, Patients Describe How Marijuana Helps http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8827.shtmlMedical Marijuana Draws Fire http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8825.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by dddd on February 28, 2001 at 23:11:25 PT debate It is indeed quite stunning to consider the absence of those fromthe anti persuasion,to participate in any type of discussion,or debate.The anti crowd does not have any represenatives in the public forum,,andwe have no represenatives,or representation,in government?..."No taxation without representation"...'No prohibition without public recogonition'...? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by freedomlvr on February 28, 2001 at 22:56:36 PT Dallas/Fort Worth On AM 570 in DFW there was a discussion by one of the talk show hosts about this bill which recieved a lot of callers and the anti's were outnumbered by about 20 to 1, maybe more... [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on February 28, 2001 at 10:58:35 PT: Revisionistic History "He said that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration does not think there is a valid medicinal benefit from smoking marijuana."Actually, Francis Young, the administrative law judge of the DEA examined all the evidence and declared cannabis as safe and effective medicine. It took another bureaucrat to say, we don't care, and ignore the order. When you are an ideologue (as are the vast majority of legislators, judiciary and law enforcement), you don't want to be bothered by the truth. It might create cognitive dissonance, but then how would they possibly know? 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