Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
The new cannabis oil law signed by Gov. Bill Haslam is an acknowledgment that marijuana has therapeutic benefits. It targeted patients with seizures and was passed with unanimous enthusiasm by the General Assembly.
Unfortunately, it will have little impact on the well-being of many Tennessee patients who could use other forms of cannabis to control their symptoms.
Used incorrectly, marijuana causes damage, and reasonable people want it to remain a controlled substance with no provision for recreational use. But current regulations stand in the way of harm reduction and patient benefit.
According to Tennessee's new law, "The cannabis oil must have been obtained legally in the United States and outside of this state." This wording shines the spotlight on a critical issue. How can the oil be "obtained legally in the United States" when federal law makes it impossible?
Patients using even the nonintoxicating cannabidiol oil (CBD) can be prosecuted by the federal government because cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
About 75 percent of Americans support a patient's right to use cannabis without fear of criminal prosecution if their doctor believes it may help. Why should patients and their families be at risk of prosecution?
The DEA has refused to reschedule cannabis into the less restrictive Schedule 2 and many states don't want to sidestep federal law. That's why new, well-crafted federal legislation is needed.
Several U.S. senators and representatives are co-sponsors of the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act, Senate bill S 683 and House bill HR 1538.
The bipartisan act would allow patients, doctors and businesses in states that have already passed medical marijuana laws to participate in those programs without fear of federal prosecution.
In a statement, House sponsor U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, said "This important bill brings the federal government in line with the science and the American people." Original co-sponsor Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, said "The CARERS Act aims to protect states that have legalized medical marijuana and allows them to properly enforce their own laws."
The act does five things:
-It removes nonintoxicating CBD from the federal definition of marijuana.
-It reschedules marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2. (Moving cannabis to Schedule 2 keeps cannabis as a controlled substance, so recreational use remains illegal under federal law.)
-It allows banking institutions to process transactions with legitimate state-regulated, cannabis-based businesses.
-It increases availability of marijuana for Food and Drug Administration approved research projects, and
-It allows Veterans Affairs medical center doctors to advise and assist patients regarding use of medical marijuana in states where it is legal.
Thirty-five states have legalized medical marijuana or are passing legislation regulating the use of cannabidiol oils. The time to reset the federal law is now.
During a recent interview with CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, President Barack Obama stated how he feels about the CARERS Act. "... I think carefully prescribed medical use of marijuana may in fact be appropriate, and we should follow the science as opposed to some ideology on this issue," he said.
The CARERS bills have moved to the committee level in the U.S. Senate and House. Additional support is needed to help them emerge for a full vote. Please encourage your federal officials in the Senate and House to sign on as co-sponsors.
Matthew Hine, M.D., M.P.H., is a Chattanooga physician and fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CARERS Act protects medical marijuana, expands research
Author: Matthew Hine
Contact: Contact Us | The Tennessean
Photo Credit: UK Cannabis Social Club
Website: The Tennessean
Unfortunately, it will have little impact on the well-being of many Tennessee patients who could use other forms of cannabis to control their symptoms.
Used incorrectly, marijuana causes damage, and reasonable people want it to remain a controlled substance with no provision for recreational use. But current regulations stand in the way of harm reduction and patient benefit.
According to Tennessee's new law, "The cannabis oil must have been obtained legally in the United States and outside of this state." This wording shines the spotlight on a critical issue. How can the oil be "obtained legally in the United States" when federal law makes it impossible?
Patients using even the nonintoxicating cannabidiol oil (CBD) can be prosecuted by the federal government because cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
About 75 percent of Americans support a patient's right to use cannabis without fear of criminal prosecution if their doctor believes it may help. Why should patients and their families be at risk of prosecution?
The DEA has refused to reschedule cannabis into the less restrictive Schedule 2 and many states don't want to sidestep federal law. That's why new, well-crafted federal legislation is needed.
Several U.S. senators and representatives are co-sponsors of the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act, Senate bill S 683 and House bill HR 1538.
The bipartisan act would allow patients, doctors and businesses in states that have already passed medical marijuana laws to participate in those programs without fear of federal prosecution.
In a statement, House sponsor U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, said "This important bill brings the federal government in line with the science and the American people." Original co-sponsor Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, said "The CARERS Act aims to protect states that have legalized medical marijuana and allows them to properly enforce their own laws."
The act does five things:
-It removes nonintoxicating CBD from the federal definition of marijuana.
-It reschedules marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2. (Moving cannabis to Schedule 2 keeps cannabis as a controlled substance, so recreational use remains illegal under federal law.)
-It allows banking institutions to process transactions with legitimate state-regulated, cannabis-based businesses.
-It increases availability of marijuana for Food and Drug Administration approved research projects, and
-It allows Veterans Affairs medical center doctors to advise and assist patients regarding use of medical marijuana in states where it is legal.
Thirty-five states have legalized medical marijuana or are passing legislation regulating the use of cannabidiol oils. The time to reset the federal law is now.
During a recent interview with CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, President Barack Obama stated how he feels about the CARERS Act. "... I think carefully prescribed medical use of marijuana may in fact be appropriate, and we should follow the science as opposed to some ideology on this issue," he said.
The CARERS bills have moved to the committee level in the U.S. Senate and House. Additional support is needed to help them emerge for a full vote. Please encourage your federal officials in the Senate and House to sign on as co-sponsors.
Matthew Hine, M.D., M.P.H., is a Chattanooga physician and fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CARERS Act protects medical marijuana, expands research
Author: Matthew Hine
Contact: Contact Us | The Tennessean
Photo Credit: UK Cannabis Social Club
Website: The Tennessean
