cannabisnews.com: MMJ Bill Likely Dead for This Legislative Session





MMJ Bill Likely Dead for This Legislative Session
Posted by CN Staff on April 20, 2005 at 14:13:58 PT
 By Phillip Rawls, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press 
Alabama -- Legislation to legalize the use of marijuana for medical reasons is likely dead for this session of the Alabama Legislature because a House committee Wednesday decided the measure needed more study.But the bill's sponsor, Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, said she plans to try again next session. "This is not a criminal justice issue. It's a medical issue," Hall told the House Judiciary Committee.
Hall wants to allow Alabamians with chronic or persistent medical conditions, ranging from cancer to AIDS to migrane headaches, to acquire or cultivate marijuana under a doctor's direction. Hall's bill provides that if a patient couldn't acquire or grow the marijuana, then the primary caregivers could.After discussing her bill Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee decided by a voice vote to send it to a subcommittee for more study. Committee Chairman Marcel Black, D-Tuscumbia, said the bill "doesn't have a good chance of making it to the final line" this session because time is nearly out, but he'd like to see it again next session."It's an idea definitely worth pursuing," he said.During the committee's debate, Rep. Albert Morton, R-Birmingham, said he was concerned that marijuana prescribed for medical reasons would find its way into the illegal drug trade. "The problems would be much worse than the good it could do for a few," he said.Hall said little marijuana would be involved because experience in other states has shown few people ask a doctor to prescribe marijuana."There are many more drugs that are more dangerous and addictive that are being prescribed every day," she said.Rep. Howard Sanderford, R-Huntsville, said Alabama shouldn't pass any legislation until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the U.S. attorney general's legal challenge to California's medical marijuana law. The Supreme Court heard arguments in November, but has not indicated when it will decide the case.Enacting a law before the Supreme Court rules would submit Alabama to expensive litigation, Sanderford said.Hall told the committee that her personal experience caused her to pursue the medical marijuana legislation. She said her son suffered from terrible pain after being diagnosed with AIDS in 1989, and the drugs that were available before his death three years later did not alleviate his pain."If this option had been available, my son and I would have requested from the physician the option to have this," she said.Rep. Dick Brewbaker, R-Montgomery, said he is sympathetic to patients with severe pain who think marijuana might help, but he said they should have to get it through a pharmacy like any other pain killer. He said allowing patients and their caregivers to grow marijuana "seems pretty broad."Complete Title: Medical Marijuana Bill Likely Dead for This Legislative SessionSource: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Phillip Rawls, Associated Press WriterPublished: April 20, 2005Copyright: 2005 The Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmPrescription for Pot?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20530.shtmlMarijuana Bill Introduced in State Legislaturehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20438.shtmlHall Introduces Bill for Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20437.shtml 
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 27, 2005 at 11:27:28 PT
Related Article from The Associated Press
Medical Marijuana Bill Approved by House Committee
   
 April 27, 2005MONTGOMERY, Ala. Legislation to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes got approved by a legislative committee today. The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill on a divided voice vote. But neither the bill's sponsor, state Representative Laura Hall, nor the committee's chairman, state Representative Marcel Black, expect the bill to go any farther in the current legislative session.They said they wanted the committee to approve the bill to foster negotiations before next year's session.Hall's bill would allow Alabamians with chronic or persistent medical conditions to use marijuana for pain relief if a doctor approves it. Hall says marijuana should be an option for people with chronic pain who have found other pain killers ineffective.Copyright 2005 Associated Presshttp://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=3268388
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Comment #1 posted by global_warming on April 20, 2005 at 17:33:28 PT
It All Comes Down To This..
"Enacting a law before the Supreme Court rules would submit Alabama to expensive litigation,"The lives and hopes of so many people are in the hands of these few men and women, these Supreme Justices.I sure hope they are inclined towards an understanding that embraces the charter that is our US Constitution, and that embraces the spirit of "in Order to form a more perfect Union" and "Establish Justice", and "promote the general Welfare", and lastly and most important "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,"The rest of the articles represent the wishes and interests of those that hold power and land, those who own land and cattle, including those indentured humans, articulations of good people that only seek to protect what they have honestly worked and earned.The Light that Jesus brought to this world, was a Comfort, the Holy Spirit, that magical connection, that places the greatest burden and reward, in our ever evolving faces, and all the medicines in this world, cannot erase the dreamsand nightmares, until truth and confession, bare witness to the new child, that child that was remembered in our old myths, that child that was gloriously born.Like any constitution, that represents the ideas of the people that took time and used it to write down their thoughts and constitutions, our present times, have been born from our parents and grandparents idea's, from the flesh that once embraced youthful passions and fleeting dreams, we are the survivors, we can examine the old testaments, and we must be able to read and understand, to reflect and illuminate, bring forth our art and write about our passions, and write about our world, the world we lived in.I believe, that our children, will seek in the most thirstily way, every scrap and testament of yours and mine existence.I apologize for such lengthy diversions, and those tangents that may not direct you well, my hopes allow me to share the passions of Cannabis, and this wicked prohibition and the red and blue spectrums, and my wish could not be said more beautifully..Mat 21:22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive...We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America...Luk 1:1 Forasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a relation concerning the matters fully believed among us, Luk 1:2 as those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses of and attendants on the Word have delivered them to us, Luk 1:3 it has seemed good to *me* also, accurately acquainted from the origin with all things, to write to thee with method, most excellent Theophilus, Luk 1:4 that thou mightest know the certainty of those things in which thou hast been instructed.Luk 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, ...--Peace on this 4\20\05gw
http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/documents/archive_r.html#rudolph
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