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Democrat Bob Kerrey says it's time the nation considered allowing doctors to prescribe medical marijuana, especially to returning veterans with mental health issues.
But Kerrey says there is no way he supports the wholesale legalization of marijuana, despite being close friends with a billionaire who supports loosening marijuana laws.
"Under no circumstance am I talking about legalizing marijuana to the point where you can buy it over the counter on street corners," he said Wednesday.
Kerrey is running for the U.S. Senate against Republican Deb Fischer. His views on marijuana have been raised and speculated on by Republicans and others recently, in large part, because of an article in which his friendship with Peter Lewis was disclosed on the Huffington Post website.
Lewis is the billionaire founder of Progressive Insurance who once helped fund a marijuana law reform group known as the Marijuana Policy Project.
Kerrey said he has neither supported legalizing marijuana nor advised Lewis on his efforts to pass pro-pot laws across the nation.
But Kerrey said he does believe that returning veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses should be allowed to use marijuana, as long as their doctors believe it would help alleviate their symptoms.
At the very least, Kerrey said, the Department of Veterans Affairs should be allowed to study whether marijuana could help returning veterans, as some anecdotal evidence indicates.
Kerrey also said there needs to be an examination of the current "disconnect" between federal and state laws. Under federal law, marijuana is illegal. In 17 states, however, use of medical marijuana is legal.
The conflict between federal law and state laws needs to be addressed, he said.
It may be time to explore, he added, whether the Food and Drug Administration should regulate marijuana rather than the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Kerrey's comments come as a Nebraskan mounts an effort to legalize marijuana in the state.
Last year, a Cambridge, Neb., man began a petition drive to put to a vote the question of legalizing marijuana for private, noncommercial use. Frank Shoemaker and his supporters need about 120,000 signatures to get on the November ballot. The signatures must be turned in by July 6.
He said Wednesday that he had "no clue" how the petition drive is going but added, "miracles happen."
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: omaha.com
Author: Robynn Tysver
Contact: Contact Us - Omaha.com
Website: Kerrey open to use of medical marijuana, especially for vets - Omaha.com
But Kerrey says there is no way he supports the wholesale legalization of marijuana, despite being close friends with a billionaire who supports loosening marijuana laws.
"Under no circumstance am I talking about legalizing marijuana to the point where you can buy it over the counter on street corners," he said Wednesday.
Kerrey is running for the U.S. Senate against Republican Deb Fischer. His views on marijuana have been raised and speculated on by Republicans and others recently, in large part, because of an article in which his friendship with Peter Lewis was disclosed on the Huffington Post website.
Lewis is the billionaire founder of Progressive Insurance who once helped fund a marijuana law reform group known as the Marijuana Policy Project.
Kerrey said he has neither supported legalizing marijuana nor advised Lewis on his efforts to pass pro-pot laws across the nation.
But Kerrey said he does believe that returning veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses should be allowed to use marijuana, as long as their doctors believe it would help alleviate their symptoms.
At the very least, Kerrey said, the Department of Veterans Affairs should be allowed to study whether marijuana could help returning veterans, as some anecdotal evidence indicates.
Kerrey also said there needs to be an examination of the current "disconnect" between federal and state laws. Under federal law, marijuana is illegal. In 17 states, however, use of medical marijuana is legal.
The conflict between federal law and state laws needs to be addressed, he said.
It may be time to explore, he added, whether the Food and Drug Administration should regulate marijuana rather than the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Kerrey's comments come as a Nebraskan mounts an effort to legalize marijuana in the state.
Last year, a Cambridge, Neb., man began a petition drive to put to a vote the question of legalizing marijuana for private, noncommercial use. Frank Shoemaker and his supporters need about 120,000 signatures to get on the November ballot. The signatures must be turned in by July 6.
He said Wednesday that he had "no clue" how the petition drive is going but added, "miracles happen."
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: omaha.com
Author: Robynn Tysver
Contact: Contact Us - Omaha.com
Website: Kerrey open to use of medical marijuana, especially for vets - Omaha.com
