Robert Celt
New Member
Parents desperate to help their severely ill children walked away angry and in tears Tuesday night after Nebraska lawmakers did not advance a bill that would have legalized medical marijuana.
"We learned our kids have a price, and obviously they're not worth it," said Shelley Gillen of Bellevue, whose son, Will, suffers dozens of seizures every day.
After four hours of debate that was at times passionate and at times clinical, supporters of Legislative Bill 643 came up three votes short of what they needed to break a filibuster. Senators voted 30-15 to cut off debate, which means the bill is dead for the year.
Some senators predicted supporters of medical cannabis will now try to launch a voter petition drive. But they will face the challenge of raising the roughly $1 million dollars it costs to collect enough signatures in time to get the issue on the November ballot.
Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue, who sponsored the measure last year and twice made it his legislative priority, said Tuesday night he's not yet sure if he will bring it again.
"I hate to say this colleagues, but some of you are just stuck on stupid," Garrett said of those he characterized as unwilling to consider arguments for the bill.
Some of those opponents held steadfast that marijuana-derived medicines should go through the same federal approval process as other pharmaceutical drugs. Others expressed fears that a push for recreational marijuana wouldn't be far behind if they voted to allow the drug to be used as a medicine.
"I have compassion for those who feel there is no other alternative," said Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell. "But allowing them to be unregulated test subjects, especially children, is medically irresponsible."
Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg, who led the filibuster, pointed out that marijuana remains a federally illegal drug and many law enforcement authorities and prosecutors opposed the bill. Williams said those opposed to the bill were not heartless, just cautious.
"We have to make these decisions with our heads, not our hearts," he said.
The bill also faced opposition from Attorney General Doug Peterson and Gov. Pete Ricketts. The Nebraska Medical Association also was opposed.
The governor has said marijuana needs to go through the research and testing protocols required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before it could be used as medicine.
Supporters offered a bill that would have given Nebraska among the most tightly regulated medical marijuana programs in the nation. A total of 23 states and the District of Columbia allow the drug to be used as medicine.
The Nebraska bill would have prohibited patients from growing plants or smoking the drug. Instead, patients would have been limited to taking the drug in the form of pills, oils or through a vaporizer.
"We're not talking about smoking marijuana, wacky weed, OK," said Sen. Joni Craighead of Omaha. "And I think some of us are trying to misconstrue what we're talking about here."
The Nebraska bill would have required the state Department of Health and Human Services to administer the program. It would have cost an estimated $2.4 million in startup costs in the first two years, based on a fiscal analysis.
Some senators raised concerns about the cost and whether or not revenues generated by the program would be sufficient.
Senators adopted an amendment by Sen. Sara Howard of Omaha that would have required those seeking medical cannabis to be certified by a doctor as suffering from one of several conditions. Among the conditions are certain types of cancer, terminal illnesses, ALS, Parkinson's disease, severe epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV and opioid addiction.
"It's just there to alleviate human suffering," Howard said.
Before the final vote, Garrett made an impassioned plea to his colleagues to help parents, children, military veterans and others who haven't been helped by conventional medicine.
"This is a good bill, colleagues," he said. "Stand for the sick and hurting people of Nebraska."
Afterward, Shari Lawlor of Valley walked out of the Capitol building dejected. Her adult daughter Brooke suffers from severe epilepsy, and she helped lead a group called Nebraskans 4 Medical Cannabis.
"We're all going to become criminals tomorrow," she said. "That's our choice — become a criminal or watch our children suffer."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: NE: Become A Criminal Or Watch Our Children Suffer
Author: Joe Duggan
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Omaha.com
"We learned our kids have a price, and obviously they're not worth it," said Shelley Gillen of Bellevue, whose son, Will, suffers dozens of seizures every day.
After four hours of debate that was at times passionate and at times clinical, supporters of Legislative Bill 643 came up three votes short of what they needed to break a filibuster. Senators voted 30-15 to cut off debate, which means the bill is dead for the year.
Some senators predicted supporters of medical cannabis will now try to launch a voter petition drive. But they will face the challenge of raising the roughly $1 million dollars it costs to collect enough signatures in time to get the issue on the November ballot.
Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue, who sponsored the measure last year and twice made it his legislative priority, said Tuesday night he's not yet sure if he will bring it again.
"I hate to say this colleagues, but some of you are just stuck on stupid," Garrett said of those he characterized as unwilling to consider arguments for the bill.
Some of those opponents held steadfast that marijuana-derived medicines should go through the same federal approval process as other pharmaceutical drugs. Others expressed fears that a push for recreational marijuana wouldn't be far behind if they voted to allow the drug to be used as a medicine.
"I have compassion for those who feel there is no other alternative," said Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell. "But allowing them to be unregulated test subjects, especially children, is medically irresponsible."
Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg, who led the filibuster, pointed out that marijuana remains a federally illegal drug and many law enforcement authorities and prosecutors opposed the bill. Williams said those opposed to the bill were not heartless, just cautious.
"We have to make these decisions with our heads, not our hearts," he said.
The bill also faced opposition from Attorney General Doug Peterson and Gov. Pete Ricketts. The Nebraska Medical Association also was opposed.
The governor has said marijuana needs to go through the research and testing protocols required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before it could be used as medicine.
Supporters offered a bill that would have given Nebraska among the most tightly regulated medical marijuana programs in the nation. A total of 23 states and the District of Columbia allow the drug to be used as medicine.
The Nebraska bill would have prohibited patients from growing plants or smoking the drug. Instead, patients would have been limited to taking the drug in the form of pills, oils or through a vaporizer.
"We're not talking about smoking marijuana, wacky weed, OK," said Sen. Joni Craighead of Omaha. "And I think some of us are trying to misconstrue what we're talking about here."
The Nebraska bill would have required the state Department of Health and Human Services to administer the program. It would have cost an estimated $2.4 million in startup costs in the first two years, based on a fiscal analysis.
Some senators raised concerns about the cost and whether or not revenues generated by the program would be sufficient.
Senators adopted an amendment by Sen. Sara Howard of Omaha that would have required those seeking medical cannabis to be certified by a doctor as suffering from one of several conditions. Among the conditions are certain types of cancer, terminal illnesses, ALS, Parkinson's disease, severe epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV and opioid addiction.
"It's just there to alleviate human suffering," Howard said.
Before the final vote, Garrett made an impassioned plea to his colleagues to help parents, children, military veterans and others who haven't been helped by conventional medicine.
"This is a good bill, colleagues," he said. "Stand for the sick and hurting people of Nebraska."
Afterward, Shari Lawlor of Valley walked out of the Capitol building dejected. Her adult daughter Brooke suffers from severe epilepsy, and she helped lead a group called Nebraskans 4 Medical Cannabis.
"We're all going to become criminals tomorrow," she said. "That's our choice — become a criminal or watch our children suffer."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: NE: Become A Criminal Or Watch Our Children Suffer
Author: Joe Duggan
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Omaha.com
