cannabisnews.com: Senate Shelves Medical Marijuana 





Senate Shelves Medical Marijuana 
Posted by CN Staff on April 28, 2005 at 22:30:31 PT
By News Sentinel Nashville Bureau 
Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel
Nashville, Tennessee -- A Senate committee has spurned legislation to authorize use of marijuana for medical purposes in Tennessee, but the idea will still be officially studied for consideration next year. The bill by Sen. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, got three yes votes and three no votes in the Senate General Welfare Committee. It needed five votes to pass the panel.
However, Lt. Gov. John Wilder afterwards said he would form a study committee to report recommendations on the issue in 2006. Rep. Rob Briley, D-Nashville, House sponsor of the measure, said he would ask House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh to also name House members to the panel. Ten states now have "medical marijuana" laws. Tennessee adopted such a law in 1981, but it was repealed in 1991. Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, who sponsored the repeal bill in 1991, also voted against Cohen's bill in the General Welfare Committee. McNally said the former Tennessee law established a board to review applications for medical use of marijuana, but "nobody ever came before the board." Also, McNally said a prescription drug substitute, Marinol, was developed that provides the active ingredient in marijuana to patients who need it "without the side effects." A medical marijuana law is thus unneeded, McNally said. Cohen, however, said many people - including friends - have found smoking marijuana the only effective means to control severe pain and nausea, especially in dealing with the side effects of chemotherapy treatment for cancer. "Medical marijuana is compassionate medicine and commonsense politics," Cohen said. Note: Issue to be revisited in 2006 after study.Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN)Published: April 29, 2005 Copyright: 2005 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.Contact: letters knews.comWebsite: http://www.knoxnews.com/Related Articles & Web Site:U of Tennessee NORMLhttp://web.utk.edu/~normlutk/Legislature Eyes Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20511.shtmlMarijuana Legislation Proposedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20341.shtmlCohen Promoting Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19859.shtmlSenator Advocates Legal Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19858.shtml 
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