cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Passes Senate 










  Medical Marijuana Passes Senate 

Posted by CN Staff on March 02, 2005 at 19:14:18 PT
By Deborah Baker, The Associated Press 
Source: Albuquerque Journal 

Santa Fe -- The state Senate on Wednesday voted to allow patients with cancer and other debilitating diseases to legally use marijuana. New Mexico would join 10 other states that allow the medical use of marijuana if a measure were to become law.   The Senate passed three bills, each of them establishing a program run by the state Department of Health. The bills now go to the House. Senate Judiciary Chairman Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque, said the proposal would provide "one more opportunity for life for our loved ones."
It's not the first time lawmakers have dealt with the legislation  —  and it wouldn't be the first such program in the state. In the late 1970s, New Mexico set up a program linking the medical use of marijuana with a research project, which eventually lost its funding and became defunct.   Former Gov. Gary Johnson, a Republican and a drug-reform proponent, pushed medical marijuana legislation. The House and Senate approved separate bills in 2001 but never agreed on the same version.   It was tried again in 2002 in the Senate and in 2003 in the House, but it failed each time.   Proponents of the medical use of marijuana say it can ease pain, increase appetite and decrease nausea.   Two of the bills would restrict it to patients with cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, certain spinal cord damage, epilepsy and HIV-AIDS.   Under McSorley's bill, the Health Department would license producers to provide the marijuana, which would be grown in secure facilities. Patients whose doctors recommended it would apply to the department and, if approved by a review board of physicians, be registered to possess the drug.   Sen. Steve Komadina, R-Corrales, sponsored an alternative measure that would require the marijuana to be pharmaceutical grade, so that dosages would be consistent and regulated. That would rule out smoking it, although it an atomizer or inhaler could be used, Komadina said.   The third bill, sponsored by Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-Albuquerque, would allow people with chronic or debilitating diseases marked by pain or severe muscle spasms to use marijuana only topically  —  in a patch, lotion or gel, for example.   Opponents said the legislation ran afoul of the federal law on controlled substances and that the push for medical marijuana should be made at the federal level.   "At the end of the day, this is the wrong forum," said Sen. William Payne, R-Albuquerque.   Other critics said they were concerned the state would appear  —  especially to young people  —  to be promoting drug use.   "My question today . . . is what kind of message are we going to be sending," said Sen. Carroll Leavell, R-Jal, who voted against the three measures.   A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson said he was studying the bills and was encouraged by the safeguards they contained.   "For people who are living in a tremendous amount of pain as a result of life-threatening diseases, this is a treatment that they should be allowed to have," said Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the governor.   With bipartisan backing, McSorley's bill passed on a vote of 27-11, Komadina's by 29-11, and Robinson's by 31-9.   McSorley's bill is SB795.   Komadina's bill is SB891.   Robinson's bill is SB492. Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)Author: Deborah Baker, The Associated Press Published: March 02, 2005Copyright: 2005 Albuquerque JournalContact: opinion abqjournal.comWebsite: http://www.abqjournal.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmSenate Endorses Three Medical Marijuana Bills http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20306.shtmlAnti-Starvation Drug Should Be Made Legalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20274.shtml Cancer Survivor Backs Bill on Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20210.shtml

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Comment #5 posted by OverwhelmSam on March 04, 2005 at 04:04:35 PT
This Is The Message We Should Send
To the children:It's okay for people with debilitating diseases to use marijuana to alleviate their pain and suffering.And it's okay for responsible adults to use marijuana recreationally like alcohol and viagra.Now. What's wrong with those messages to our children?
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on March 03, 2005 at 13:56:35 PT
NORML: Medical Marijuana Passes NM Senate 
Take Action Now! http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=7140111&type=STFriends:NORML is pleased to announce that SB 785, a bill to create a medical marijuana program in New Mexico, passed the New Mexico Senate yesterday by a vote of 27-11! This result is due in large part to the phone calls, letters and support that New Mexico State Senators received from concerned citizens such as yourself. But there is still much work to be done.The bill now moves to the New Mexico House of Representatives, where it will face another series of votes in committee and on the House floor. Your letters and phone calls played an integral part in gaining the bill's passage in the Senate, and we are counting on your continued support as the bill makes it's way through the House of Representatives.Now is the time to write your Representative and tell him or her to support Senate Bill 785. Pre-written letters are available online from NORML at: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=7140111&type=STThank you again for your support of NORML's legislative efforts in New Mexico. NORML will continue to keep you updated as the bill works it's way through the House of Representatives.To help support NORML's state legislative efforts, please donate today at: https://secure.norml.org/join/Regards,Kris Krane, Associate Director NORML
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Comment #3 posted by potpal on March 03, 2005 at 09:19:45 PT
Answer her question...via email...
"My question today . . . is what kind of message are we going to be sending," said Sen. Carroll Leavell, R-Jal, who voted against the three measures.opinion abqjournal.com
Carroll Leavell, 505-395-2535, leavell leaco.net, Drawer D, Jal, 88252 
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Comment #2 posted by dididadadidit on March 03, 2005 at 09:19:40 PT
Don't Count on New Mexico
The numbers in the senate do indeed hold out some hope, but I've seen NM come close too many times in the past to hold my breath on a good outcome. It is still quite probable, in spite of high senate support, that it is the houses turn to torpedo the legislation this year, or barring an outright sinking, pass a dissimilar bill to anything out of the senate and then fail to get anything at all through house senate conference, as was the case when getting close with governor Johnson."The third bill, sponsored by Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-Albuquerque, would allow people with chronic or debilitating diseases marked by pain or severe muscle spasms to use marijuana only topically — in a patch, lotion or gel, for example. "Of course, the house could go along with the most useless senate version, quoted above, and pass a bill essentially worthless. If one is nauseous or in muscle spasm, how long will rubbing lotion on the stomach or muscle take to effect any relief? Get real! Do people rub the cox-2 arthritis pain relief on their aching joints? No, they get the relief (along with the increased risk of heart attack and stroke) by ingesting the medication. Same with cannabis (minus the lethal side effects), and smoking or use of a vaporizer is the logical method of administration as it is quickly absorbed into the blood stream and the dose needed for relief easily controlled (as opposed to eating cannabis (or Marinol) which takes time to digest and is difficult to control the desired dose).Sorry, don't count on NM. We've screwed it up before and likely will again.Cheers?
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on March 02, 2005 at 21:27:20 PT
Senate, Richardson Endorse Medical Marijuana Bills
March 2, 2005SANTA FE, N.M. -- The state Senate has endorsed three separate bills that would allow patients with cancer and other debilitating diseases to use marijuana to ease their symptoms.They each set up a program in the Department of Health to oversee the medical use of marijuana.Gov. Bill Richardson's office released the following statement Wednesday regarding the medical marijuana legislation passed by the state Senate: "For people who are living in a tremendous amount of pain as a result of life threatening diseases, this is a treatment that they should be allowed to have," the statement said.This statement marks the first time Richardson has taken a position on medical marijuana.Under one of the measures, the marijuana would be grown at licensed, secure facilities and then distributed to patients who were registered to possess and smoke it.An alternative bill requires the medical marijuana to be pharmaceutical grade, which means it would be manufactured by a drug company and could be taken in various forms, but not smoked.The third bill the Senate endorsed Wednesday would allow the use of marijuana only topically, such as in an ointment.The three bills now go to the House.Lawmakers have voted on medical marijuana bills for several years, but none has passed both houses.The state had a medical marijuana program in the late 1970s that was connected to a research project, but it lost its funding.Copyright 2005 by TheNewMexicoChannel.comhttp://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/news/4248988/detail.html
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