Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
What advocates have dubbed the Hemp Freedom Tour will hold its sixth Lancaster rally in Penn Square Saturday.
The event is organized by Keystone Cannabis Coalition, which supports full legalization of marijuana and hemp.
But for now, executive director Les Stark said, "We're putting our efforts and focus on what we believe is politically possible to achieve."
That's passage of Senate Bill 3, which would legalize some forms of medical marijuana for those with certain diseases, and Senate Bill 50, which would legalize the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp.
The former passed the state Senate Tuesday 40-7 and likely faces a tougher vote in the House; the latter is in committee.
Both marijuana and hemp are cannabis plants, but only marijuana has the high THC content that lends it psychoactive properties. Hemp, by contrast, is used industrially for its seeds, oil and fiber; currently it's legal to use hemp in Pennsylvania, but not to grow it.
A news release describes the rally as family-friendly event that will feature "passionate speeches, live musical entertainment, sign making, a raffle, face painting and free hugs." It will run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.
"It would be nice if we get people who really want to learn," said East Hempfield Township resident Deb Guy, who will be speaking at the rally.
Guy is executive director of the Lancaster chapter of NORML, which stands for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
She said she has fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, and that marijuana relieved her pain while allowing her to get off a host of medications and lose weight.
They would prefer much broader provisions, Guy and Stark said, but are supporting Senate Bill 3 as a good first step.
The Pennsylvania Medical Society disagrees. It opposes the bill, saying that medical marijuana shows promise but better research is needed before it is legalized.
"Those studies that they quote, they leave questions that we want to try to have answered - the dosages, when to use it, why to use it, risk levels, interactions with other medications and so on," said society spokesman Chuck Moran, noting that the American Academy of Pediatrics also opposes medical marijuana outside Food and Drug Administration's usual approval process for pharmaceutical products. "There's a good start to research, but it just needs to be followed through."
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form, according to Governing.com. Gov. Tom Wolf has said he would sign off on medical marijuana if lawmakers get a bill to his desk.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana, hemp advocates to rally in Lancaster Saturday - LancasterOnline: Local News
Author: Heather Stauffer
Contact: Contact Us - LancasterOnline: Site
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: LancasterOnline: Lancaster County's leading source of news and information
The event is organized by Keystone Cannabis Coalition, which supports full legalization of marijuana and hemp.
But for now, executive director Les Stark said, "We're putting our efforts and focus on what we believe is politically possible to achieve."
That's passage of Senate Bill 3, which would legalize some forms of medical marijuana for those with certain diseases, and Senate Bill 50, which would legalize the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp.
The former passed the state Senate Tuesday 40-7 and likely faces a tougher vote in the House; the latter is in committee.
Both marijuana and hemp are cannabis plants, but only marijuana has the high THC content that lends it psychoactive properties. Hemp, by contrast, is used industrially for its seeds, oil and fiber; currently it's legal to use hemp in Pennsylvania, but not to grow it.
A news release describes the rally as family-friendly event that will feature "passionate speeches, live musical entertainment, sign making, a raffle, face painting and free hugs." It will run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.
"It would be nice if we get people who really want to learn," said East Hempfield Township resident Deb Guy, who will be speaking at the rally.
Guy is executive director of the Lancaster chapter of NORML, which stands for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
She said she has fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, and that marijuana relieved her pain while allowing her to get off a host of medications and lose weight.
They would prefer much broader provisions, Guy and Stark said, but are supporting Senate Bill 3 as a good first step.
The Pennsylvania Medical Society disagrees. It opposes the bill, saying that medical marijuana shows promise but better research is needed before it is legalized.
"Those studies that they quote, they leave questions that we want to try to have answered - the dosages, when to use it, why to use it, risk levels, interactions with other medications and so on," said society spokesman Chuck Moran, noting that the American Academy of Pediatrics also opposes medical marijuana outside Food and Drug Administration's usual approval process for pharmaceutical products. "There's a good start to research, but it just needs to be followed through."
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form, according to Governing.com. Gov. Tom Wolf has said he would sign off on medical marijuana if lawmakers get a bill to his desk.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana, hemp advocates to rally in Lancaster Saturday - LancasterOnline: Local News
Author: Heather Stauffer
Contact: Contact Us - LancasterOnline: Site
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: LancasterOnline: Lancaster County's leading source of news and information
