cannabisnews.com: Legislators Oppose Legalizing Medical Marijuana





Legislators Oppose Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on June 11, 2007 at 07:01:55 PT
By Brian Shea
Source: Wilton Bulletin
Connecticut -- Although a bill legalizing marijuana for medicinal use passed both the state Senate and state House, Wilton legislators are unanimous in their opposition to the bill.The bill, if signed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell, would establish procedures for physicians to certify that an adult patient suffering from a number of conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease, could use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Patients would also have to register with the Department of Consumer Protection.
A physician would need to describe the benefits and risks of marijuana to the patient and certify that it is against the patient’s best interest to prescribe, or continue to prescribe, prescription drugs to treat the symptoms or effects to be treated by the marijuana.The bill passed in the House 89-58 and passed in the Senate 23-13.“It’s a health hazard,” said State Rep. Toni Boucher, Republican of the 143rd District, in an interview. She said since the bill applies to not only those with terminal illnesses but with chronic illnesses as well, she could not support it.“Why give a person an additional health hazard at a time when they need to be strong?” said Ms. Boucher of those who are not terminally ill. She said if the bill only applied to those who are terminally ill, she would have been in support of it.Another aspect of the bill Ms. Boucher said she was uncomfortable with was that patients could have up to four marijuana plants in their home.“You can have upwards of 11,000 marijuana joints. That really has me concerned,” said Ms. Boucher.State Rep. John Hetherington, Republican of the 125th District, said while he “would like to see the relief that marijuana can provide made available to those who are suffering,” the bill did not include sufficient controls to secure his approval.“There’s no control over how the marijuana will be eventually made available,” said Mr. Hetherington.Mr. Hetherington said he would be open to having a debate on whether marijuana should be legalized, but with the laws as they currently are, there was some “societal judgment” that marijuana was not something people wanted to be generally distributed.He said he was also opposed to the bill because there was no legal way for someone who qualified under the bill to obtain a marijuana plant or the marijuana leaves, and would thus have to enter into an illegal transaction in order to obtain them.“This is a slippery slope. It will be a mistake for our state to tell anyone that it is OK to use marijuana,” said Senator Judith Freedman, Republican of the 26th District, in a press release.“I am very concerned about the possibility of exposing children and teenagers to drug use. I am not convinced that there is any way to effectively shield children from drug use once we allow it to happen. This legislation poses an unacceptable danger to too many people,” said Ms. Freedman. Complete Title: Legislators Representing Wilton Oppose Legalizing Medical MarijuanaSource: Wilton Bulletin (CT)Author: Brian SheaPublished: June 11, 2007Copyright: 2007 by Hersam Acorn NewspapersWebsite: http://www.acorn-online.com/Contact:  newsroom wiltonbulletin.com Related Articles & Web Site:Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/ Marijuana Law in Connecticut Gains Ground http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23061.shtmlFeds Should Settle Debate Regarding Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23056.shtmlMedical Marijuana Bill in Rell's Hand http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23036.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by ekim on June 11, 2007 at 18:22:02 PT
Jose you were ------- ahead of your time
how many years has it been since you called for the 52 card pick upcheers--
http://blog.leap.cc/
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Comment #9 posted by potpal on June 11, 2007 at 15:38:36 PT
health hazard 
The 'health hazard' we all must bare is leaving what we can and cannot do for our health and mind to politicans. It cracks me up when they start picking out the conditions in which a person may or may not use cannabis. Where do they get off?Meet the prohibitionists:
State Rep. Toni Boucher, Republican of the 143rd District
State Rep. John Hetherington, Republican of the 125th District
Senator Judith Freedman, Republican of the 26th DistrictThe 52 reasons deck of cards is a great idea. I'm getting one.
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Comment #8 posted by mayan on June 11, 2007 at 14:20:33 PT
Senator Judith Freedman
She's in the vast minority. 
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Comment #7 posted by RevRayGreen on June 11, 2007 at 10:34:48 PT
I hope they have a card
with George,Barbara,Elvy,Irv and Chris's lifetime stats on it.
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on June 11, 2007 at 09:31:42 PT
Why?
Must "Free" People have to struggle, and beg, and plead, and reason, and finangle.... endlessly, just to be able to use a natural herb of the earth, without having a swat team, and helicopters, and handcuffs, and lawyers fees, and fines, and prisons, and jails, and humiliations, and injury fall on them?Why?
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Comment #5 posted by dongenero on June 11, 2007 at 09:06:33 PT
MPP
Great work MPP!!! Thank you!
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 11, 2007 at 09:00:30 PT
Press Release from MPP
Medical Marijuana Poker Cards Reach Congress As It Ponders Key Legislation***June 11, 2007WASHINGTON, D.C. — If members of Congress preparing to consider two important pieces of medical marijuana legislation wonder, "What's the deal on medical marijuana?" they are about to get the answer -- in the form of medical marijuana playing cards from the Marijuana Policy Project.This week, the D.C-based marijuana policy reform group will distribute decks of cards to every House lawmaker with a logo on one side that says, "The Deal on Medical Marijuana: 52 Reasons Why You Should Support Medical Marijuana Access," and has numerous organization endorsements, breakthrough scientific research, supportive polling data and personal testimonies about medical marijuana on the other.Congress will soon consider the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which would prevent the Justice Department from using its funds to arrest medical marijuana patients protected by state laws. MPP is also fighting legislation introduced by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) that could make patients and caregivers vulnerable to arrest for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act – even in the 12 states with medical marijuana laws. If passed, medical marijuana opponents may even try to use the new law to impose the federal government’s will on states that protect patients from arrest and jail, though supporters of compassionate access are almost certain to fight such attempts in court."Federal opposition to sensible medical marijuana laws is well-funded and intentionally misleading, causing the debate to get stuck in a rut," said Aaron Houston, MPP director of government relations, as he drew a joker from the deck quoting drug czar John Walters ridiculing medical marijuana as no different from medical crack. "These decks are an attempt to break out of that rut. Is it a gimmick? Sure, but when you don't have the resources the government has, there's nothing wrong with using a gimmick in service of the truth."Members of the media may contact MPP to get one of the decks or see images of some of the cards online here: http://www.mpp.org/playingcards Here are examples of other cards:* The jack of spades quotes the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine saying "a federal policy that prohibits ... prescribing marijuana for seriously ill patients is misguided, heavy-handed, and inhumane."* The ace of diamonds quotes a Drug Enforcement Administration judge calling the DEA "unreasonable, arbitrary, and capricious" for standing "between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance."With more than 21,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana—both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is imprisonment. For more information, see: http://www.MarijuanaPolicy.orghttp://www.mpp.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=glKZLeMQIsG&b=1157875&ct=3950775
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on June 11, 2007 at 08:33:13 PT
the bill
this bill isn't so great, this will greatly limit the number of people protected:(1) "Debilitating medical condition" means cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, epilepsy, cachexia or wasting syndromI think in California 80% of the medmj patients use it for chronic pain, which will not be covered in CT.  Too bad. It looks like CT and VT both have very limited laws that will only allow protection for a few hundred individuals out of many thousands of patients.
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on June 11, 2007 at 08:26:31 PT
Nice timely article
These guys will look great when the bill gets passed into law with a bunch of smiling people in wheelchairs. Mean-spirited jerks.
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Comment #1 posted by dongenero on June 11, 2007 at 08:16:04 PT
we need intelligent people running for office
Who are these boneheads in Wilton and how are they voted into office!!??“Why give a person an additional health hazard at a time when they need to be strong?” said Ms. Boucher of those who are not terminally ill...............This woman knows nothing about this and should either educate herself or be a bit humble and keep her ignorant opinions where they belong.Furthermore.....11,000 joints from four plants? Given that 1 gram per joint is the number generally floated, that would be 6 pounds of usable medicine per plant! Mrs. Boucher, if you can get 6 pounds per plant, you should go into business!
Indoors 1/2-2 oz is more like it. Outdoors with much care a great strain and ideal conditions people can very rarely approach 1 pound per plant. Still, outdoors it is more likely to be a couple ounces per plant.This woman is full of herself. Spare us.Here's another..........“I am very concerned about the possibility of exposing children and teenagers to drug use. I am not convinced that there is any way to effectively shield children from drug use once we allow it to happen. This legislation poses an unacceptable danger to too many people,” said Ms. Freedman.They talk as if cannabis does not currently exist! I suspect most kids and teenagers know far more about cannabis than do these bubblehead legislators.It's as if they believe their elections gave them some innate intelligence. We must stop putting stupid people in office. Demand higher intelligence and common sense in your politicians!
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