T
The420Guy
Guest
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Associated Press) - Over the past decade or so, state Sen.
Keith Goodenough, D-Casper, has sponsored a bill six or seven times to
legalize the use of medical marijuana.
Every year the bill failed, more often than not during debate by the Senate
Judiciary Committee - until now.
Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, with an audience of four people, the committee
passed the bill with a 3-2 vote. Sens. Bruce Burns, R- Sheridan, and Ken
Decaria, D-Evanston joined Goodenough in voting for the bill, while Sens.
Curt Meier, R-LaGrange, and John Hanes, R- Cheyenne, voted against it.
''It's a fairness issue,'' Goodenough said. ''If you're gonna die in two
months, you should be able to do whatever you want. It really bothers me
that the government steps between the doctor and patient.''
Goodenough based the bill on the initiative that passed in Colorado in 2000.
Senate File 44 authorizes patients with debilitating illnesses such as
cancer, glaucoma, HIV and AIDS or any medical condition approved by the
Wyoming Department of Health to use marijuana as a treatment.
The health department would provide registration cards identifying a
patient as someone who has received written certification from a physician
saying that the benefits of the medical use of the drug would likely
outweigh the health risks.
The bill limits patients to obtaining two ounces of the drug and
maintaining no more than six marijuana plants, with three or fewer being
mature.
Patients under the influence would not be allowed to drive or operate heavy
machinery or use the drug in a school bus or other public vehicle, on
school grounds, or in a public recreation area, workplace or correctional
facility.
Opponents say the bill poses a difficult state and federal conflict because
the use of marijuana is illegal under federal law, even though nine states
have enacted the legislation. Eight of the laws came about by popular vote.
''I think it sets up untenable circumstances,'' Hanes said.
Meier voted against the bill because it does not provide assurances about
control of the drug by a pharmaceutical or prescription drug authority.
''We wouldn't let people manufacture morphine even though they have a
prescription for it,'' Meier said.
The bill also skips over how proper users should obtain the drug or its seeds.
Will Bierman, a deputy public defender, spoke in support of the bill as a
concerned citizen. But he advocated that legislators consider having the
federal government regulate the supply source of the drug.
Meier, who has had glaucoma for 30 years, also said he thinks that allowing
glaucoma patients to use medical marijuana opens the door to abuse of the
provision because so many other treatment options are available.
His amendment to remove the inclusion of glaucoma failed, though, because a
majority of the committee members felt doctors should be the ones to make
that decision.
On the other side of the argument, Burns said he supported the bill because
he saw how the use of medical marijuana eased the suffering of an uncle
battling lung cancer.
The drug made a profound difference in the remainder of his life, Burns
added. He also discounted the protests of a lobbyist from the Wyoming
Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, who shared anecdotal
information that the use of marijuana leads to violence.
''I have a hard time picturing terminally ill patients going out and
harassing people,'' Burns said. ''I think we're talking apples and oranges
here.''
The bill now heads to the full Senate for debate.
Though this is the first time the bill has made it out of Senate committee,
the bill did pass the full House in 1992.
Recently, Goodenough also tried to tag an amendment allowing the use of
medical marijuana onto a bill being discussed on the Senate floor. The
amendment was only narrowly defeated, 16-14.
The Senate Judiciary Committee also passed Senate File 102 Wednesday on 5-0
vote.
The bill would remove language from state statute that gives prosecutors
the power to say whether certain first offenders can be placed on probation
under terms set by the court.
Deleting the provision would place that power solely in the hands of
judges, said Sen. Keith Goodenough, D-Casper.
Pubdate: Thu, 06 Feb 2003
Source: Casper Star-Tribune (WY)
Copyright: 2003 Casper Star-Tribune
Contact: letters@trib.com
Website: trib.com
Keith Goodenough, D-Casper, has sponsored a bill six or seven times to
legalize the use of medical marijuana.
Every year the bill failed, more often than not during debate by the Senate
Judiciary Committee - until now.
Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, with an audience of four people, the committee
passed the bill with a 3-2 vote. Sens. Bruce Burns, R- Sheridan, and Ken
Decaria, D-Evanston joined Goodenough in voting for the bill, while Sens.
Curt Meier, R-LaGrange, and John Hanes, R- Cheyenne, voted against it.
''It's a fairness issue,'' Goodenough said. ''If you're gonna die in two
months, you should be able to do whatever you want. It really bothers me
that the government steps between the doctor and patient.''
Goodenough based the bill on the initiative that passed in Colorado in 2000.
Senate File 44 authorizes patients with debilitating illnesses such as
cancer, glaucoma, HIV and AIDS or any medical condition approved by the
Wyoming Department of Health to use marijuana as a treatment.
The health department would provide registration cards identifying a
patient as someone who has received written certification from a physician
saying that the benefits of the medical use of the drug would likely
outweigh the health risks.
The bill limits patients to obtaining two ounces of the drug and
maintaining no more than six marijuana plants, with three or fewer being
mature.
Patients under the influence would not be allowed to drive or operate heavy
machinery or use the drug in a school bus or other public vehicle, on
school grounds, or in a public recreation area, workplace or correctional
facility.
Opponents say the bill poses a difficult state and federal conflict because
the use of marijuana is illegal under federal law, even though nine states
have enacted the legislation. Eight of the laws came about by popular vote.
''I think it sets up untenable circumstances,'' Hanes said.
Meier voted against the bill because it does not provide assurances about
control of the drug by a pharmaceutical or prescription drug authority.
''We wouldn't let people manufacture morphine even though they have a
prescription for it,'' Meier said.
The bill also skips over how proper users should obtain the drug or its seeds.
Will Bierman, a deputy public defender, spoke in support of the bill as a
concerned citizen. But he advocated that legislators consider having the
federal government regulate the supply source of the drug.
Meier, who has had glaucoma for 30 years, also said he thinks that allowing
glaucoma patients to use medical marijuana opens the door to abuse of the
provision because so many other treatment options are available.
His amendment to remove the inclusion of glaucoma failed, though, because a
majority of the committee members felt doctors should be the ones to make
that decision.
On the other side of the argument, Burns said he supported the bill because
he saw how the use of medical marijuana eased the suffering of an uncle
battling lung cancer.
The drug made a profound difference in the remainder of his life, Burns
added. He also discounted the protests of a lobbyist from the Wyoming
Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, who shared anecdotal
information that the use of marijuana leads to violence.
''I have a hard time picturing terminally ill patients going out and
harassing people,'' Burns said. ''I think we're talking apples and oranges
here.''
The bill now heads to the full Senate for debate.
Though this is the first time the bill has made it out of Senate committee,
the bill did pass the full House in 1992.
Recently, Goodenough also tried to tag an amendment allowing the use of
medical marijuana onto a bill being discussed on the Senate floor. The
amendment was only narrowly defeated, 16-14.
The Senate Judiciary Committee also passed Senate File 102 Wednesday on 5-0
vote.
The bill would remove language from state statute that gives prosecutors
the power to say whether certain first offenders can be placed on probation
under terms set by the court.
Deleting the provision would place that power solely in the hands of
judges, said Sen. Keith Goodenough, D-Casper.
Pubdate: Thu, 06 Feb 2003
Source: Casper Star-Tribune (WY)
Copyright: 2003 Casper Star-Tribune
Contact: letters@trib.com
Website: trib.com
