cannabisnews.com: Lawmaker Plans Push To Legalize Medical Marijuana
Lawmaker Plans Push To Legalize Medical Marijuana
Posted by FoM on January 13, 2002 at 22:26:42 PT
By Kristal L. Dearing
Source: Morning News
When California voters approved a law in 1996 to allow its seriously ill residents to legally purchase, grow and smoke marijuana, many Americans and medical experts took notice, but few expected states less liberal than California to follow suit. But, five years later, nine states and the District of Columbia have approved similar medical-marijuana laws, and at least a half-dozen states -- including Arkansas -- are expected to consider the issue in the next year or so.
For the first eight states to enact medical-marijuana laws, it was grass-roots effort that pushed the issue to a public vote on statewide ballots. But increasingly -- and especially in more conservative states where liberal-leaning activist groups lack membership and financial support -- state legislatures and health departments are mulling what some say is the drug-policy question of the century: Should marijuana be legalized for people whose health and well-being can benefit from the plant's calming, pain-relieving and muscle-relaxing effects? In the Natural State, as efforts by activists to get medical marijuana on the November ballot have fallen short, a well-known state senator from Little Rock says he plans to introduce a bill in the next legislative session to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Sen. John Riggs, D-Little Rock, told The Morning News this week that he thinks state lawmakers, after studying the medical-marijuana issue, will "recognize the facts and have enough compassion" to legalize the now-illicit drug for medicinal uses. Long, Storied History Scientists and doctors, in both private and government offices, say that marijuana has proven to be an effective treatment for severe and intractable pain, nausea, wasting, glaucoma, migraine, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, muscle spasms and several other ailments. Until 1937, when it was criminalized in the U.S., it was prescribed as a leading treatment for over 100 illnesses. Between 1842 and 1890, the extracts and derivatives of marijuana were the second- and third-most prescribed medicines in the U.S., with various forms of it made by Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis, Squibb and other pharmacological giants. More recently, in the January 1997 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Jerome Kassirer, the journal's editor, wrote " authorities should rescind their prohibition of the medical use of marijuana for seriously ill patients and allow physicians to decide which patients to treat." Medical marijuana has found support even at the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. After a 1989 hearing on the drug's effects and uses, DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young concluded not only that marijuana's medical usefulness had been adequately demonstrated, but that the plant had been shown to be "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man." Afterwards, DEA administrators declined to abide by Young's recommendation that the agency change its policies that disallow medicinal uses of marijuana. In 1999, a study funded by the federal government conducted by the National Institute of Medicine also found legitimate therapeutic uses of marijuana, and recommended further consideration of its findings by drug-policy makers. The nation's drug czar at the time, Barry McCaffrey, decided the risks of smoking marijuana outweighed the drug's benefits and said "the future of medical marijuana lies in classical pharmacological drug development." The federal government has continued its strong opposition to marijuana being used medicinally in its natural form. In the last three months of 2001, the DEA began cracking down on California physicians, patients and distribution cooperatives operating under the guidelines of that state's medical-marijuana law. DEA agents raided two co-ops, a doctors' office and at least two patients' homes in October alone. The crackdown followed a U.S. Supreme Court decision last spring that said medical necessity was not an allowable defense for distributing marijuana through co-ops like those allowed under California law. That ruling, however, is not expected to effect other states' medical-marijuana laws, as most of the laws already enacted avoid allowing distribution through legalized marijuana co-ops or other groups. Growing Statewide Support Riggs noted that some Arkansas residents apparently support the idea as well, according to a recent University of Arkansas Political Science Department survey. In responses to the UA's third-annual Arkansas Poll, two-thirds of the 767 respondents said they support allowing seriously ill patients to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. "Watching what other states have done, it seems to be a no-brainer (to pass this legislation), especially for citizens in pain and those with terminal diseases," Riggs said. "I don't see any reason why we can't do this for those people who need medical marijuana." Riggs, who is chairman of the state Senate's Economic and Tax Policy Committee among others, acknowledged that medical marijuana is a controversial issue, especially in more conservative states like Arkansas. But he says he is hopeful that his legislative counterparts will make "the right decision." "I already have heard from several (members of the Senate and House) who at least are interested in looking closely at this issue," said Riggs, who added that at least three lawmakers who are leaning toward supporting medical marijuana are conservative Republicans. Many Republicans nationwide support medical-marijuana initiatives because it is fiscally conservative, experts say. In California, for example, the state has said it is saving at least $100 million a year in law-enforcement costs since legalizing medical marijuana and since making minor non-medical marijuana offenses misdemeanors instead of felonies requiring jail time. The latter change in state law, called "decriminalization" of marijuana, doesn't make the drug legal but says that offenders caught with small amounts be issued citations, similar to traffic tickets, or be required to attend a drug-treatment program instead of serving a jail sentence. It is the second major marijuana movement that has begun to sweep the nation, as more state governments begin to revisit the economics of their drug policies. Nationwide, the cost of prosecuting marijuana offenses is estimated to be anywhere from $5 billion to $10 billion a year, according to government and activist-group studies. In 2000, nearly 750,000 people were arrested for marijuana offenses, and 88 percent of those arrests were for possessing small amounts of the drug, the FBI has reported. At least one of Arkansas' neighbors has already taken action to stop spending so much money on criminal prosecution of minor drug offenses. Last year, Louisiana's legislature passed a law ending mandatory prison time for possession of small quantities of drugs. The act's author, Democrat Charles Jones of Monroe, said about 43 percent of the state's $600-million-a-year prison budget goes toward housing drug offenders. Decriminalizing marijuana is another issue Riggs plans to tackle next January when the General Assembly convenes, but he notes it's a totally different ball of wax -- and probably even more controversial -- than medical marijuana. 'Sinful' Or Sensible? Riggs fervently believes that the state's doctors should be allowed to prescribe -- or at the very least discuss -- marijuana for patients who are critically ill and need the plant to relieve unrelenting pain and nausea. "Why should we keep suffering people from any kind of medication they need?" he asked. "The only reason I can think of is maybe some people think it's 'sinful.' That's probably what the governor would think." Calls to Gov. Mike Huckabee's office inquiring about his opinion of medical marijuana were not returned. Regardless, Riggs said the moral-conservative viewpoint doesn't make sense, especially in light of the fact that no one seems to object to the legal, pill version of marijuana, Marinol, which has been in use for years. "I can't envision any logic for opposing medical-marijuana legislation other than the opinion that you'll go to hell for getting relief from your pain by smoking marijuana," he said. "But those same people think it's OK if you get relief from a drug company instead." In the last General Assembly, a member of Arkansas' House introduced a bill to allow medical marijuana. But HB 1303, sponsored by Rep. Jim Lendall of Mabelvale, never reached the House floor. Medical-marijuana activists hope that Riggs' effort will have better success; they note Riggs' status as a Senate leader. Indeed, Riggs has a relatively good record of getting his bills enacted into law; in the 2001 session, 45 percent of the bills he sponsored were passed. Lendall's record of success was about 25 percent. Denele Campbell, a West Fork resident and executive director of the Northwest Arkansas-based activist group Alliance for Reform of Drug Policy in Arkansas, said she is more optimistic than ever that with Riggs' backing and the recent UA poll results, medical marijuana has a "pretty good chance" of being legalized in Arkansas. ARDPArk has been working to get enough petition signatures to get the issue on the November ballot, but so far the group has only 5,000 of the 56,000 signatures required by July 1. Campbell said the group has had trouble raising money because it's sole focus is medical marijuana -- and many people are too afraid of possible retribution from hardline law enforcers to donate money to a group that is required to publicly list its supporters with the state election commission. "In Arkansas, everyone is afraid to stick their neck out," Campbell lamented. "We'd hoped to attract support from some of the major corporate donors that supported medical marijuana in other states, but now those donors have moved on to other pet issues." Let's Talk About Drugs One change Campbell and her activist counterparts have made to make fund raising easier is form a second nonprofit organization, called the Drug Policy Education Group, that focuses on education and spurring dialogue on how to improve Arkansas' drug policies and reduce the harm that drugs are causing individuals and their families. DPEG has sponsored several conferences in central Arkansas on topics such as drug use and abuse among the state's youth and the effects of the drug war on people with disabilities. Attendees have ranged from state health officials and Arkansas Supreme Court justices to municipal judges and family members of convicted drug offenders. Because DPEG focuses on a wider range of topics, and because it isn't a political-campaign group per se, it does not have to publicly register its donors -- something that has helped the group raise more money in a year than ARDPark did in two years. "I'm feeling a lot more positive about our work through DPEG," Campbell told The Morning News last week. "We can start to get more people to think about drug-policy reform by talking about other issues besides just medical marijuana, things like racism in drug policy and the cost-effectiveness of decriminalizing marijuana." Campbell and other DPEG organizers plan to ramp up their efforts as Riggs in the state Senate begins meeting with other legislators to start developing proposed laws addressing medical marijuana and other drug-policy issues. In the meantime, the West Fork resident says she hopes ARDPArk volunteers are able to continue getting signatures to put the issue on the November ballot, and she hopes the state's residents realize the importance of the issue and take action to voice their opinions. "The thing that's scary is that people either don't recognize they have the power to make that change, or they just can't seem to get themselves to do anything about it," Campbell said. "One way or the other, we believe we'll have a medical-marijuana law on the books in Arkansas in the near future. This is a long-overdue protection for people who are suffering unnecessary anxiety or prosecution for the use of a natural herbal substance that helps them feel better."Note: NWA-Based Activist Group Thrilled With Growing Support.Source: Morning News of Northwest Arkansas (AR)Author: Kristal L. Dearing Published: Sunday, January 13, 2002 Copyright: 2002, Donrey Media GroupContact: news nwaonline.netWebsite: http://www.nwamorningnews.com/Related Articles & Web Site:ARDPArkhttp://www.ardpark.org/Marijuana Bill Altered, on Holdhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9076.shtmlHouse Panel Refuses to Back Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8611.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by p4me on January 15, 2002 at 23:07:25 PT
excellent article
I really enjoyed this article and it had information that I have not read before. I just want to mention that on the tv news tonight it was reported that Michigan, Tennessee, North Carolina, and D.C. have spent zero money of the tobacco settlement to reduce the number of people smoking. South Carolina was 42nd spending 1.6 million. This is not last year. This is since the tobacco settlement about 4 years ago. And the government is trying to reduce substance abuse. What a sad lie.Until 1937, when it was criminalized in the U.S., it was prescribed as a leading treatment for over 100 illnesses.And the government continues to spend billions to deprive people of their property, freedom, job, education, status, economic well being to fight the acceptance of MJ in America. The government sucks. The government is lying. The government is destroying lives. The government is wasting money that is sorely needed to solve real problems. The government is controlling the press. The government is out of control. I do not look up to the *ickhead that is president. Some compasionate conservative. A person that is president because of the impropriety of the Supreme Court and the lie that he would not interfere with the states medicinal MJ laws.All elected officials are charged with the public good and there are very few speaking about the warping of the Constition. We need a whole new set of elected officials. I am tired of the lies and the senseless pain the government is inflicting upon us.Vote against all incumbents all the way down to dog catcher. We the people can stop this insanity by sending the incumbents home.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on January 14, 2002 at 10:46:13 PT
Hi Patrick
I'm doing just fine. Hope you are too. Today is a day of hope. I love having hope! Maybe we will see the laws changed.
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Comment #4 posted by Patrick on January 14, 2002 at 10:34:38 PT
Refreshing
It is very refreshing to read an article such as this one compared to reading say one about the DEA bragging over how many hemp pretzels they have seized. Of particular interest to recreational cannabis smokers like myself is...
The latter change in state law(California}, called "decriminalization" of marijuana, doesn't make the drug legal but says that offenders caught with small amounts be issued citations, similar to traffic tickets, or be required to attend a drug-treatment program instead of serving a jail sentence. This is stepping in the right direction. Locking up peaceful people for smoking cannabis is the real "crime" and I think that the average local law enforcement official knows this.Hope you are having a great day FoM. Yes, the prince smoking pot is certainly going to raise awareness of the issue. The regular media cannot avoid reporting that one! I feel for the boy being exposed for something all kids do. However, I am also happy that the issue of cannabis has gotten international attention in the prime time spotlight! Perhaps this could be the straw that shows the antis how it is better to take control of drugs rather than making some of them illegal. Illegal drugs today mean that only the unregulated black markets have control over what your kids may get their hands on. Just my $.02!
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on January 14, 2002 at 08:27:41 PT
Great News Gary!
Thanks! That's wonderful news! We might have been kicked hard and knocked down since 9-11 but we're still here! We know we are right and we must win and change these laws against this fine medicinal plant. I spoke to my one niece yesterday on the phone that I haven't talked to in many years and she told me that she quit drinking 6 months ago. She had been drinking since she was 23 she said and now is in her mid 40s. She said that she finds that smoking marijuana has helped her stay sober. She doesn't know that I do C News. The reason the subject came up in our conversation was because of Prince Harry. I hope others use Prince Harry as a way to bring up the topic of Cannabis. You never know what you might learn about how people really feel.
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Comment #2 posted by Gary Storck on January 14, 2002 at 08:15:24 PT
Wisconsin Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced Today!
At long last the WI MMJ Bill, AB 715, was introduced January 14, 2002From: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2001/data/AB715hst.htmlHistory of Assembly Bill 715ASSEMBLY BILL 715
An Act to renumber 961.01 (1); to renumber and amend 59.54 (25), 961.55 (8), 968.19 and 968.20 (1); to amend 60.23 (21), 66.0107 (1) (bm), 173.12 (1m), 289.33 (3) (d), 349.02 (2) (b) 4., 961.555 (2) (a), 961.56 (1), 968.20 (3) (a) and 968.20 (3) (b); and to create 59.54 (25) (b) 2., 59.54 (25) (b) 3., 961.01 (1g), 961.01 (5m), 961.01 (11t), 961.01 (14g), 961.01 (19m), 961.01 (20hm), 961.01 (20t), 961.01 (21t), 961.37, 961.436, 961.55 (8) (b), 961.55 (8) (c), 961.555 (2) (e), 961.555 (2m), 961.5755, 968.073, 968.12 (5), 968.19 (2), 968.20 (1d) and 968.20 (1j) of the statutes; relating to: medical use of marijuana, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and providing a penalty. (FE) 2002
01-14. A. Introduced by Representatives Boyle, Pocan, Skindrud,
Sherman, Schneider, Berceau, Gronemus, Carpenter, Miller
and Plouff.
01-14. A. Read first time and referred to committee on
Criminal Justice.
---------------
From: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/asmco.html
CRIMINAL JUSTICE, COMMITTEE ON: Representatives Suder, chairperson, Gundrum, vice chairperson, Bies, J. Fitzgerald, Jeskewitz, F. Lasee, Loeffelholz, Owens, Staskunas, Wood, Young, Colón, Sherman, and Boyle.Wisconsinites can only hope the bill gets a fair and speedy hearing!-- Gary Storck
Drug Policy Forum of Wisconsin
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on January 14, 2002 at 04:26:08 PT
Bulls-
eye.
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