cannabisnews.com: Lawmakers Back Medicinal Use of Pot Lawmakers Back Medicinal Use of Pot Posted by FoM on March 11, 2001 at 19:14:30 PT By Ray Huard, San Diego Union-Tribune Source: Union-Tribune Sick people who want to use marijuana to ease their symptoms won support yesterday from a San Diego City Council committee. City Councilman Ralph Inzunza Jr. said the city must "begin to push this process now." Inzunza and his colleagues on the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee voted unanimously to create a task force o determine how the city might help implement Proposition 215 - a 1996 state ballot initiative that allows the medical use of marijuana. The task force would be appointed by Mayor Dick Murphy and other council members and would include police, patients, doctors and others who work with health care. The council committee set a 90-day deadline for the committee to be appointed and produce a preliminary report. "It's going to be an aggressive schedule as much as possible," said committee chairman Toni Atkins. The task force's duties would include monitoring actions by other agencies, including a law enforcement work group on Proposition 215 formed last year by District Attorney Paul Pfingst. The decision to create the task force was prompted in pat by please yesterday from people who said marijuana helped relieve their symptoms or those of family members when other medications had failed. Cancer patient Ann Shanahan Walsh said marijuana-laced cookies she got from a San Francisco clinic through a friend were the only thing that eased nausea and restored her appetite when she was undergoing chemotherapy. "I was so desperately ill because the traditional drugs they give cancer patients just weren't working," Shanahan Walsh said. Susan McNichols said marijuana has been the only medication that reduced the seizures and other ailments her son continues to suffer from an auto accident he was in 11 years ago. "for the first time since his auto accident, I see hope and joy in my son," McNichols said. Critics have contended that allowing marijuana to be used for medical purposes would encourage drug abuse. But council members said they saw no connection between the two. "I do not support the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. However, I do support the use of marijuana for medical use," said Councilman George Stevens. Although Proposition 215 allows the personal use of marijuana for medical reasons, it does not eliminate other laws that make it a crime to possess or sell marijuana, nor does it affect federal laws against the drug. That contradiction has left police and government agencies in a quandary. Pfingst's work group was formed to develop guidelines for police throughout San Diego County, clarifying who can use marijuana for medical purposes and under what circumstances. San Diego police have interpreted the law to mean that sick people or their caretakers can grow small amounts of marijuana under a doctor's instructions to ease pain and other medical symptoms. They have, however, closed two centers that provided marijuana to sick people. News Article Courtesy of MapInc.http://mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n433/a03.htmlSource: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)Author: Ray Huard, San Diego Union-Tribune Published: March 8, 2001Copyright: 2001 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.Address: PO Box 120191, San Diego, CA, 92112-0191Fax: (619) 293-1440Contact: letters uniontrib.comWebsite: http://www.uniontrib.com/Forum: http://www.uniontrib.com/cgi-bin/WebXCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by meagain on March 12, 2001 at 04:08:05 PT anyone for tennis? Lets see where and how the ball bounces [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by MegaStoner on March 12, 2001 at 01:09:17 PT Hope in a world of confusion Yes,,it's about time some Californian politicians started to become hip to the new reality.I really like the "Task Force" approach.It's about time! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: