cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Overhaul Introduced in Senate
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Medical Marijuana Overhaul Introduced in Senate
Posted by CN Staff on March 24, 2011 at 10:01:05 PT
By Stephen Dockery, Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Helena, MT -- A last minute effort to overhaul Montana’s medical marijuana law was introduced in the Senate Wednesday.Senate Majority Leader Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, who led the subcommittee in crafting the measure, described Senate Bill 423 as having three phases: repeal the current law, cleanse the state of the old marijuana industry and then institute a very strict regulation of marijuana to only legitimate chronic pain sufferers.
As proposed, the bill is a far cry from the current marijuana law and it goes great lengths to try and limit the amount of medical marijuana available throughout Montana and who has access to the drug. "This is devised to put contraband substances, which this is, back in a contraband mechanism," Essmann said. His bill faces a long road before it could ultimately become the medical marijuana measure upon which the Legislature acts. The first hurdle comes Friday when the bill gets a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The measure could be changed significantly each time it comes before lawmakers. The proposal was quickly patched together by a Senate subcommittee over the past few weeks, drawing from a variety of bills already in the Legislature that would regulate the industry. The proposal seems to be the leading overhaul measure left before lawmakers. House Bill 68, the product of extended out-of-session work on regulating the marijuana industry, was tabled in committee Wednesday and several other regulation measures remain stuck in committee. Whether both chambers can get behind the new overhaul is still to be determined. Essmann said he is in regular contact with House leadership and thinks all lawmakers realize something must be done about the marijuana situation in the state. But the House seems to have a much different outlook on what to do with the drug than the Senate. House Speaker Mike Milburn, R-Cascade, sponsored a marijuana repeal measure that cleared the House on a 62-37 vote but later stalled in the Senate. A House committee also passed House Bill 175 Wednesday to submit a repeal of medical marijuana to the voters. Under the proposed overhaul, severe chronic pain sufferers could obtain a medical marijuana card only after review by two physicians, one being a personal doctor with an established doctor-patient relationship and the other a pain specialist. There could be no direct sales between cardholders and the substance would be delivered from growers to patients by licensed couriers. The Montana Public Service Commission would become the licensing authority for medical marijuana. Essmann said the commission, which usually deals with utilities, was given the responsibility because the monitoring and regulation of goods is already something the commission deals with. As for growers, the bill proposes two models: card holders who can grow a small amount of marijuana if they do not have minors at home and a system of small licensed nonprofit growers with a five-person board of supervisors. The subcommittee made no qualms about their thoughts on the effectiveness of Montana’s current medical marijuana system. According to the bill, the current 2004 voter-approved initiative would be ended on July 1 after which there is a 90-day gap for law enforcement to clean up the current marijuana industry and let growers and patients comply with the new law. The bill gives current card holders three months to go through the new doctor certification structure.Source: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Stephen Dockery, Associated Press Published: March 24, 2011Copyright: 2011 The Associated PressCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #29 posted by Dankhank on March 25, 2011 at 17:09:47 PT
rainbow ...
this, today on DailyKos:As federal battles over medical marijuana across the country heat up, a statement from one federal agency may be a huge asset for medical marijuana dispensaries that have been targeted by the various arms of the U.S. Department of Justice and the IRS.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a division of the National Institute of Health, which is itself one of the 11 component agencies that make up the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Last week, the NCI quietly added to its treatment database a summary of marijuana’s medicinal benefits, including an acknowledgment that oncologists may recommend it to patients for medicinal use.The summary cites clinical trials demonstrating the benefit of medical marijuana. Part of it reads:The potential benefits of medicinal Cannabis for people living with cancer include antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep. In the practice of integrative oncology, the health care provider may recommend medicinal Cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct antitumor effect.don't sell yourself short ... good work ...
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #28 posted by FoM on March 25, 2011 at 15:23:07 PT
Rainbow
Thank you!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #27 posted by Hope on March 25, 2011 at 14:41:30 PT
Rainbow
Thank you. Doing something... anything... is so much better than nothing.
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Comment #26 posted by rainbow on March 25, 2011 at 13:56:42 PT
Information
Several yearts ago the cancer association was an unfriendly org towards cannabis.I sent a note via their website filled with links to counter their false statments.Then I said now you know you know and I know you know.They stopped teh campaign against cannabis shortly after that. Not claiming I did it with a simple note to the cancer people but hey it was fun, becasue they knew they were had. :-)
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Comment #25 posted by Garry Minor on March 25, 2011 at 13:21:34 PT
Runruff, I agree!
You said;
"I think this is an issue that needs to be confronted and I think it is an issue the feds do not ever want to have to answer for."Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and add up the 1600 American deaths each day from cancer for just thirty years. That comes to 17,520,000 what they call "precious American citizens," when they want an excuse to drop a bomb, that may very well be alive today if it weren't for these "terrorists" within that allowed them to suffer and die. You're right, these ignorant beasts need to held accountable! And I can't wait until it happens! These godless animals are the worst kind of evil and have dug themselves into a very deep hole, and, they know it! There is no way out for these slugs.Truth wins!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #24 posted by museman on March 25, 2011 at 13:07:24 PT
oregon under attack
There are over 50 bills to restrict, criminalize, repeal, and in general mess with us. That link is just one. All made by republicans, all so under the radar you have to get real specific in your googling to find them. Try the or.gov pages.But make no mistake, even as these attempts ate pretty lame, they are a barrage that intend to get something through no matter what.If Oregon voters don't stand up, they will succeed in a temporary -at least- loophole for leos to start raiding and charging any and all medical growers/users they can find.I would provide a link, but I am just too time constrained at the moment.LEGALIZE FREEDOM
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #23 posted by FoM on March 25, 2011 at 12:25:56 PT
runruff
I posted this article on March 16th.Proposal To Restrict Oregon MMJ Use Gets TrashedURL: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread26394.shtml
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #22 posted by runruff on March 25, 2011 at 11:59:24 PT
Has anyone heard?
Is mmj under attack in Oregon?I heard a rumor.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #21 posted by FoM on March 25, 2011 at 11:26:00 PT
runruff
I agree with you.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #20 posted by runruff on March 25, 2011 at 11:15:04 PT
DEA is locking the gate to the truth.
Lyle Craker was likely to experiment on cancer cells if given the OK by the DEA. Wouldn't this have caused the fed to have to answer to their reasons for defunding cancer/cannabis research back in the 70s?I think this is an issue that needs to be confronted and I think it is an issue the feds do not ever want to have to answer for.In America we have for profit health care. This set us on a course of treatment vs. cures whereas the European countries are socialized medicine and will welcome as many cures as they can find since cures are by fractions cheaper than that treatments. The buck is made on the comeback!This stuff is criminal by any standard.
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on March 25, 2011 at 11:04:48 PT
Hope
I believe God didn't make any mistakes. Man makes mistakes but He doesn't. Stick tried to talk to our neighbor before he passed away recently about medical marijuana and he said no he hadn't tried it since he was diagnosed with cancer. He was from down south aways and he was told it was bad. He was only 53. It makes me so sad when propaganda has twisted people's minds.
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Comment #18 posted by Hope on March 25, 2011 at 09:53:09 PT
pubmed.gov?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21336992Spontaneous regression of septum pellucidum/forniceal pilocytic astrocytomas-possible role of Cannabis inhalation.
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Comment #17 posted by Hope on March 25, 2011 at 09:39:59 PT
Paul Armentano has this up over there, too.
Cannabis Inhalation Associated With Spontaneous Tumor Regression, Study Sayshttp://blog.norml.org/2011/03/22/cannabis-inhalation-associated-with-spontaneous-tumor-regression-study-says/
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on March 25, 2011 at 09:35:35 PT
NORML
I accidentally clicked on the NORML banner and their piece about the mention at the The National Institute of Cancer site says it just appeared on the .gov site last week. So it's new there... not just discovered. Either they will take it down as soon as a prohibitionist has it brought to their attention because someone rebelled and put it on the site without permission or something right may be going on. I hope something right is going on. That's not usually been the case with our government in this matter, though.
NORML
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on March 24, 2011 at 20:02:32 PT
Storm Crow
I can't get upbeat about it because we have a horrible Republican Governor now. This should have been done under our last Governor. He wants to privatize our prisons which will mean they will need to make more laws to fill them up I believe. He is trying to do what the Governor of Wisconsin is doing with the Unions. His ratings aren't very good and he appears to be a stubborn man from what I have seen so far.
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Comment #14 posted by Storm Crow on March 24, 2011 at 19:56:07 PT
Optimism in Ohio!
Organic Marijuana Greenhouse and Farms Could Open in Ohio in 2012Both cancer victims and law enforcement officers will garner some relief if the ballot issues proposed by the Ohio Coalition for Medical Compassion is successful. The group filed a request to be recognized as a political action committee with the Ohio Secretary of State's office last week. Should the group be successful in getting an issue placed in front of the voters in 2012, organic marijuana farming may become a boon to Ohio's economy.Medical marijuana measures have seen both success and failures across the United States. The nonprofit coalition is working with an Ohio attorney to sidestep obstacles similar ballot initiatives have encountered before placing the measure on the ballot next year. According to a release by the coalition, 73 percent of Ohioans favor cannabis regulation. If voters in the Buckeye State agree with the statistic, regulated medical marijuana farms and greenhouses would be created in the state. From a strictly fiscal standpoint, jobs and tax revenue could be a welcome shot in the arm to Ohio's struggling economy.(snipped)http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110322/tr_ac/8119630_organic_marijuana_greenhouse_and_farms_could_open_in_ohio_in2012_1
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on March 24, 2011 at 19:31:28 PT
Hope
It seems important and it might help get Cannabis out of Schedule I.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #12 posted by Hope on March 24, 2011 at 17:50:13 PT
Cancer Institute and .gov sites
What does this all mean? Has that information not been there before and only appeared recently? What can it mean that the government is seemingly admitting that it's a worthy and useful medical therapy? Probably means about as much as them holding the patents on medicinal cannabinoids. Is this something else that apparently means nothing and "So what"?It seems so wrong... even wicked, to prohibit the people from using the cannabis plant.
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on March 24, 2011 at 15:17:14 PT
Maryland News
Maryland: Senate Approves Defense for Medical Marijuana UseMarch 24, 2011Annapolis -- Maryland residents who can prove they have a doctor's approval to use marijuana for medical reasons would have a new defense to avoid a $100 fine and a misdemeanor conviction under a measure approved 41-6 by the Maryland Senate on Thursday.Under current law, a person who uses marijuana for medical reasons can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $100 in Maryland.URL: http://drugsense.org/url/d608r5UN
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Comment #10 posted by eddie236 on March 24, 2011 at 14:36:38 PT
sam adams
It seems like someone should write a bill pushing to make ALL pain patients have to see two doctors and see the reaction it gets.
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Comment #9 posted by eddie236 on March 24, 2011 at 14:20:44 PT
lame
It almost seems like the Repubs are thinking "oh my god we missed out on this. let's try it again so the money and jobs are directed towards us"
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Comment #8 posted by greenmed on March 24, 2011 at 13:40:10 PT
Sam Adams
Sam, your figure of 100,000 seems spot-on.According to research by the American Pain Society, nine percent of American adults live with pain rated at least five on a ten-point scale, and have done so for at least six months. This number does not count patients living with cancer-related pain."Chronic Pain In America: Roadblocks To Relief"http://www.ampainsoc.org/links/roadblocks/The latest figure for the population of Montana is 989,415 (2010) according to Wiki, so an estimate of the number of Montanan patients coping with chronic moderate-to-severe pain (5-10) is989,415 * 0.09 = 89,047100,0000 Montanans with serious pain issues that cannabis could help. Why the fuss if 28,000 of them choose an herbal option safer than opioids or long-term NSAIDs if it works for them?
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on March 24, 2011 at 13:28:13 PT
dongenero
The anti-tumor properties of cannabis being written in the National Cancer Institute's web site is the best news I have read in a very long time. Thank you God for giving the world this remarkable plant.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on March 24, 2011 at 13:23:04 PT
ekim
It's great news isn't it! It's really good to see you.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by dongenero on March 24, 2011 at 13:23:04 PT
Worth a bump-up I think...from FoM
Excerpt: The potential benefits of medicinal Cannabis for people living with cancer include antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep.In the practice of integrative oncology, the health care provider may recommend medicinal Cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct ANTI-TUMOR effect.URL: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/So, schedule 1 ? After the Government posts the above recommendations? And considering the governments' THC medical patents????? And, the IND medical marijuana program under which the feds send out pounds of medical marijuana to a few select patients each month??? sighHow silly.a : weak in intellect : foolish b : exhibiting or indicative of a lack of common sense or sound judgment
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Comment #4 posted by ekim on March 24, 2011 at 12:57:29 PT
i was little late on the issue :)
just getting caught up on reading
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on March 24, 2011 at 12:48:36 PT
new Information Summary
National Cancer Institute on Cannabis and Cannabinoids
The National Cancer Institute website (a .gov site that’s part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health) has a new Information Summary on the use of Cannabis and its components for people with cancer-related symptoms caused by the disease itself or its treatment.http://www.drugwarrant.com/2011/03/national-cancer-institute-on-cannabis-and-cannabinoids/#comments
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on March 24, 2011 at 10:43:04 PT
short on science
they complain about 28,000 patients but that numbers seems very small for chronic pain patients. How many chronic pain patients live in Montana?How many patients take opiate or NSAID pain relievers for pain in Montana? What is the current number of people that fraudulently use opiates each year? Are patients required to have 2 doctor approvals for opiate medication?But then these facts would intrude on the political witch hunt, not to mention making the police unions angry. Police unions don't worry about scientific facts, do they?It'd be nice if we could just get a bunch of sleazy state politicians together to wipe out chronic pain for 100,000 people by passing a bill. Wouldn't it be great?
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on March 24, 2011 at 10:14:05 PT
One question...
"Senate Majority Leader Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, who led the subcommittee in crafting the measure, described Senate Bill 423 as having three phases: repeal the current law, cleanse the state of the old marijuana industry and then institute a very strict regulation of marijuana to only legitimate chronic pain sufferers."....Why?
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