Robert Celt
New Member
A bill to expand Louisiana's conditions eligible for medical marijuana treatment and make it possible for doctors to get the drug to patients fell one vote short of passage in the Senate on Tuesday (April 19). But the bill's author, state Sen. Fred Mills, said he'll bring the vote back up tomorrow if two key votes are present on the Senate floor.
The medical marijuana bill was the subject of a lengthy debate on the Senate floor, and one Senator attempted to attach an amendment that Mills called a "poison pill." It would have removed Mills' attempt to change language referring to medical marijuana prescriptions -- a key tweak to the bill that doctors need so they can "recommend" medical marijuana without jeopardizing their license to prescribe.
State Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, offered that change, saying that his objections to language changes date to last year's passage of the bill. Mills wanted to change the language of the bill last year, but he said Tuesday that he didn't bring it for a vote because former Gov. Bobby Jindal had threatened a veto.
"I wasn't going to vote what I believe to be a sham," Claitor said. "If a doctor's not willing to sign a prescription, it's a sham."
Senators rejected Claitor's proposed changes, but there were still plenty of lawmakers who were opposed to the bill in its original form. State Sen. Danny Martiny, R-Metairie, told Senators that Mills' bill ignores the fact that medical marijuana remains a Schedule I drug -- classified as such because the federal government recognizes it as having no medical purpose.
"We're missing the point that this is an illegal drug," Martiny said. "We're turning our heads and basically saying this activity which federal law dictates is illegal, is not illegal because a doctor prescribes it. And I think we're fooling ourselves."
But other lawmakers urged Senators to pass the bill, saying they should show compassion toward parents who are trying to obtain the drug to help their children suffering from debilitating illnesses. One mother of a child who suffers from seizures was present in the chamber during the debate, and she posted a photo of her child on Twitter suffering from a seizure as Senators spoke.
"This is not the legalization of marijuana," Mills told the Senate. "This is giving options to people."
But when the vote was held, Mills bill failed to pass because he was one vote short of the 20 needed to pass. Even so, only 16 senators voted against the bill, meaning that Mills could try to bring the bill back for a vote when two key senators are in the chamber: state Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, and state Sen. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte.
Mills said he may try to bring the bill back as early as Wednesday.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: LA: Medical Marijuana Falls Short In The Senate, But Re-Vote Is Likely
Author: Kevin Litten
Contact: The Times-Picayune
Photo Credit: None found
Website: The Times-Picayune
The medical marijuana bill was the subject of a lengthy debate on the Senate floor, and one Senator attempted to attach an amendment that Mills called a "poison pill." It would have removed Mills' attempt to change language referring to medical marijuana prescriptions -- a key tweak to the bill that doctors need so they can "recommend" medical marijuana without jeopardizing their license to prescribe.
State Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, offered that change, saying that his objections to language changes date to last year's passage of the bill. Mills wanted to change the language of the bill last year, but he said Tuesday that he didn't bring it for a vote because former Gov. Bobby Jindal had threatened a veto.
"I wasn't going to vote what I believe to be a sham," Claitor said. "If a doctor's not willing to sign a prescription, it's a sham."
Senators rejected Claitor's proposed changes, but there were still plenty of lawmakers who were opposed to the bill in its original form. State Sen. Danny Martiny, R-Metairie, told Senators that Mills' bill ignores the fact that medical marijuana remains a Schedule I drug -- classified as such because the federal government recognizes it as having no medical purpose.
"We're missing the point that this is an illegal drug," Martiny said. "We're turning our heads and basically saying this activity which federal law dictates is illegal, is not illegal because a doctor prescribes it. And I think we're fooling ourselves."
But other lawmakers urged Senators to pass the bill, saying they should show compassion toward parents who are trying to obtain the drug to help their children suffering from debilitating illnesses. One mother of a child who suffers from seizures was present in the chamber during the debate, and she posted a photo of her child on Twitter suffering from a seizure as Senators spoke.
"This is not the legalization of marijuana," Mills told the Senate. "This is giving options to people."
But when the vote was held, Mills bill failed to pass because he was one vote short of the 20 needed to pass. Even so, only 16 senators voted against the bill, meaning that Mills could try to bring the bill back for a vote when two key senators are in the chamber: state Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, and state Sen. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte.
Mills said he may try to bring the bill back as early as Wednesday.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: LA: Medical Marijuana Falls Short In The Senate, But Re-Vote Is Likely
Author: Kevin Litten
Contact: The Times-Picayune
Photo Credit: None found
Website: The Times-Picayune
