Robert Celt
New Member
Pennsylvania needs a common-sense medical marijuana program. The only thing stopping a Senate-passed bill from becoming law is a list of 200 potential amendments in the state House of Representatives – where opinions range from flat-out prohibition to legalization for recreational use.
But there is hope, primarily because the Senate – recognizing that a solid majority of Pennsylvanians supports access to medical marijuana – sent the House a bill that had been debated and crafted by conservatives and liberals.
Senate Bill 3 would establish a regulated system of production and delivery through dispensaries, with certification and training for health professionals. It would authorize marijuana to be prescribed as oils, gels, pills and other extracts, some suitable for vaporization, but no marijuana in smokable form.
The Senate approved a dozen illnesses and conditions that would make a patient eligible – and this is one area in which the House could help, by expanding that list. One amendment would provide a more comprehensive list, including cancer, epilepsy and seizures, ALS, wasting syndrome, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Spinocerebellar ataxia, post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, Crohn's disease, diabetes and any "chronic or intractable pain where other methods of treatment no longer have therapeutic or palliative benefit."
Keeping "chronic pain" on that list is important. Medical marijuana not only offers hope to people suffering from conditions unresponsive to prescription medication – a severe form of juvenile seizures is one of them – it also could cut down on the rate of painkiller addiction, as well as opioid and heroin overdoses.
Last year the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study showing states that have allowed marijuana for chronic pain treatment also reported decreases in deaths by painkiller overdose.
Also critical is a Senate provision that would establish a special board to oversee the program, keep up with research on new forms of medical marijuana, and hear appeals to add other diagnoses to the list.
One House proposal deserves to left out of the mix – an amendment that would limit the amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, to 10 percent. Backers want this protection as a hedge against a black market for recreational use. Advocates fear that limiting THC content will sap the palliative effect of the approved forms of marijuana.
Several states have found a suitable middle ground – somewhere between the political characterizations of "Reefer Madness" and "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie" – to help those who need the benefits of medical marijuana. House Majority Leader David Reed, R-Indiana, plans to bring the bill up for a vote when members return to Harrisburg the week of March 14. Gov. Tom Wolf, who last week revealed that he has been diagnosed with treatable prostate cancer, has said he'll sign a medical marijuana bill.
It's long past time for the Legislature to get this done.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Law Is Within Reach In Pennsylvania
Author: Editorial
Contact: Lehigh Valley Live
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Lehigh Valley Live
But there is hope, primarily because the Senate – recognizing that a solid majority of Pennsylvanians supports access to medical marijuana – sent the House a bill that had been debated and crafted by conservatives and liberals.
Senate Bill 3 would establish a regulated system of production and delivery through dispensaries, with certification and training for health professionals. It would authorize marijuana to be prescribed as oils, gels, pills and other extracts, some suitable for vaporization, but no marijuana in smokable form.
The Senate approved a dozen illnesses and conditions that would make a patient eligible – and this is one area in which the House could help, by expanding that list. One amendment would provide a more comprehensive list, including cancer, epilepsy and seizures, ALS, wasting syndrome, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Spinocerebellar ataxia, post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, Crohn's disease, diabetes and any "chronic or intractable pain where other methods of treatment no longer have therapeutic or palliative benefit."
Keeping "chronic pain" on that list is important. Medical marijuana not only offers hope to people suffering from conditions unresponsive to prescription medication – a severe form of juvenile seizures is one of them – it also could cut down on the rate of painkiller addiction, as well as opioid and heroin overdoses.
Last year the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study showing states that have allowed marijuana for chronic pain treatment also reported decreases in deaths by painkiller overdose.
Also critical is a Senate provision that would establish a special board to oversee the program, keep up with research on new forms of medical marijuana, and hear appeals to add other diagnoses to the list.
One House proposal deserves to left out of the mix – an amendment that would limit the amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, to 10 percent. Backers want this protection as a hedge against a black market for recreational use. Advocates fear that limiting THC content will sap the palliative effect of the approved forms of marijuana.
Several states have found a suitable middle ground – somewhere between the political characterizations of "Reefer Madness" and "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie" – to help those who need the benefits of medical marijuana. House Majority Leader David Reed, R-Indiana, plans to bring the bill up for a vote when members return to Harrisburg the week of March 14. Gov. Tom Wolf, who last week revealed that he has been diagnosed with treatable prostate cancer, has said he'll sign a medical marijuana bill.
It's long past time for the Legislature to get this done.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Law Is Within Reach In Pennsylvania
Author: Editorial
Contact: Lehigh Valley Live
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Lehigh Valley Live
