cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Study on Agenda





Medical Marijuana Study on Agenda
Posted by FoM on April 01, 2001 at 10:19:35 PT
By Patrick Howe, Associated Press Writer 
Source: Star Tribune
The notion of using marijuana as medicine is getting a hearing, a public forum and the support of at least one top state official this week. A bill calling for a state study goes before a Senate subcommittee Tuesday. On Friday, administration officials, regulators and medical marijuana advocates meet to encourage private research at a forum sponsored jointly by the Minnesota Department of Health and the Department of Public Safety. 
Gov. Jesse Ventura will attend, but isn't expected to speak, said his spokesman, John Wodele. Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm offered her support for medicinal marijuana in an invitation letter sent March 23. " Our hopes for Minnesota, " Malcolm wrote, " is that by encouraging research we can advance the acceptance of marijuana as an important medical tool and ultimately address the legal constraints at the national level." Sara Schlauderaff, assistant commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said the forum is designed to encourage researchers to apply for state permits to study medicinal marijuana. Wodele said though Ventura would like to eventually see marijuana legal for medical use, he believes the state should wait until the federal government adopts uniform standards. In the Senate, DFL Sen. Linda Higgins of Minneapolis is pursuing a $100, 000 grant for the Department of Public Safety to determine whether marijuana helps patients suffering from serious illnesses or chronic conditions. " I think that there is enough anecdotal information about this that we need to do the research and if what people tell us is true, whether it can help people with serious conditions, " said Higgins. It' s her bill that goes before a public safety subcommittee Tuesday. Wodele said Ventura' s budget does not call for the study. " Its chances of being supported are not great, but I wouldn' t rule it out completely, " he said. Aaron Neumann, chairman of the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said the group helped organize the forum at the request of state officials. " We' re excited we're finally getting somewhere with this after years of work, " said Neumann. He praised officials for supporting the forum. " This is controversial. They' re sticking their necks out, " he said. Elsewhere, the wheels of the Legislature will grind on this week, as lawmakers scramble to push their pet projects through a funnel that will only allow a small number to emerge intact. In the Republican-controlled House, the Ways and Means committee will try to produce committee-by-committee spending targets, a process that will help dictate the body' s priorities for the seven weeks remaining in the session. The Senate is one step behind, and will begin work Monday on its broader budget resolution, a blueprint for the priorities in the Democratic-controlled body but one that contains few specifics. Gov. Jesse Ventura, for one, said Friday he's anxious to see the priorities of lawmakers who have had weeks to criticize his budget. " Tell me what part of government we can eliminate, where to cut, and all that, " Ventura said of lawmakers on his weekly radio program. " But don' t just take our money and then leave it up to me to decide what can be gotten rid of. That' s the chicken way out." Elsewhere, most of the truly radioactive bills in the session will be getting their second and third hearings. Among them: A plan to study financing a new Vikings stadium gets its first hearing in the House. The Government Operations & Veterans Affairs Policy takes up the issue Wednesday. Another House panel considers a bill that would make it a felony to kill or torture pets. A companion measure is on hold in the Senate after lawmakers raised questions about how it would be enforced. Abortion opponents will try to pass a bill requiring women seeking abortions to get detailed information about the procedure and potential alternatives. The bill, in the Senate Health and Family Security Committee, is similar to one that passed a House committee last week. It also requires that women wait 24 hours after getting the information before having the procedure and it makes doctors who violate the provision vulnerable to lawsuits. Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN) Author: Patrick Howe, Associated Press Writer Published: Sunday, April 1, 2001Copyright: 2001 Star Tribune Contact: opinion startribune.com Website: http://www.startribune.com/ NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #2 posted by sm247 on April 01, 2001 at 19:14:45 PT
seek and you will find
Search "medical marijuana" see what ya find !try web ferret it works great www.ferretsoft.com for the info
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Comment #1 posted by esmyth on April 01, 2001 at 16:56:30 PT:
medical effect of marjuana
I am doing a research paper on the effects of medical marjuana has on people with cancer, bolemia, and other illnesses. can you help. the peper is due in two days!!!!
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