Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
In a historic step, the Kansas Healthcare Strategies Committee voted Monday to introduce the state's first medical marijuana bill. The bill, titled the Medical Marijuana Defense Act, would allow legitimate medical marijuana patients arrested for pot possession to raise their medical use as "defense to prosecution."
Under the bill, people arrested for possession could present a written certification from their physicians to defend themselves in court. Out-of-state medical marijuana cards and registrations would not be a valid defense. The bill also includes protections for physicians who recommend medical marijuana to their patients.
Robert Stephan, KSCCC press conference, August 2007
Green requested that the committee introduce the bill, and that request was approved on a voice vote with only one representative dissenting.
"This is simply an issue of compassion," said Green.
"It costs a lot of money to introduce a bill," complained Sen. Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka), the sole no vote. She added that the bill violates federal law -- it does not -- and that it would be difficult to ensure each patient used the same amount of marijuana.
The bill is now at the State Revisor's Office, where it will be formatted and given a bill number. That should take about a week. After that, look for hearings sometime next month.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
..."it would be difficult to
..."it would be difficult to ensure each patient used the same amount of marijuana."
Does this Senator think that all pain patients should be treated with the exact dosage of pain medication? How about high blood pressure drugs? Would she mandate the exact same "chemo" chemicals for all cancer patients? WTF?!
Where exactly does she come by her medical expertise?
In reply to ..."it would be difficult to by Anonymous (not verified)
Thank you Kansas for listening to the medically needy
The senator from Topeka needs to do some research. I don't hold a public office, but I know that there are states out there who have medical cards for persons to buy and even grow marijuana for their medical needs. Look at California for one.
I have a son with neurofibromatosis with tumors all over his body. Internally and externally. He is on all sorts of medication to help with the pain. He has a tumor in his spinal cord and one on the front of his brain and all sorts of tumors on his legs, nerves of his back and neck. Not to mention he has asthma. I had a mother who died from being an alcholic and I personally would call the police and have her picked up if I knew she was out driving drunk. So I am not saying that everyone should be able to use marijuana. I just know that taking pills can damage other parts of your body, so what is so wrong about using something that nature gave to us. We use the plant to make cloth and other things so why not for medicine.
In reply to Thank you Kansas for listening to the medically needy by Anonymous (not verified)
The Change We Need
The legalization of medicinal marijuana would be HELPFUL to so many people just like your son. It can treat a myriad of illnesses inlcuding AIDS, glocoma, cancer, MS, and chronic pain. And is LESS HARMFUL than many perscription pain killers available today. I wish you much luck and love in your fight.
In reply to Thank you Kansas for listening to the medically needy by Anonymous (not verified)
medical marijuana
I am 45 years old and I also have Neurofibromatosis 1, I've had numerous tumors surgically removed but they just grow back in clusters. I have a plexiform tumor on my scalp that has been debulked several times but they coul never get it all. I have nerve damage to the right side of my face because of the surgery on the plexiform, my face droops on one side. I use medical marijuana and it has helpled better than other pain medications I have been prescribed. It helps with my appetite too since I have a problem keeping weight on.
I am aslo a cancer survivor but still have side effects from the chemo/radiation and marijuana helps with that too. I was prescribed oxycontin and believe me that stuff is horrible as well as vicodin. I use the marijuana edibles, ice cream, cookies, popcorn,brownies, cookies, and canna-butter to cook with. They also have marijuana arthritis cream, wrinkle cream, etc.
The government does not want people to know about all the good things marijuana can do for sick people.
Thank you Kansas for listening o the medically needy.
Thank you Bob Stephan and Laura Green.
Sorry, I didn't mean to leave my name from my previous comment.
Cheryl Brittain-Tillemans
buds
legalize the plant quit bullshitting people out of their rights to take what whatever helps them the best with their problems
ryan vangdy
legalize the dam green tree so we could live our lives with out back pain and so on. bud has help me with my back pain without it. my back pain comes back even worse then befor that's why i won't quit smoking that good tree. thank you for reading this note, i hope u legalize the bud
Marjinize Legauana
personally i think they should legalize it completely so there arent any more problems with people paying thousands and going to jail. Also, medically a doctor can perscribe all the meds he wants but in the end only the person can tell what works and what doesent, so if a person smokes some weed and is in less pain than what they were in before, then they should have every right to smoke it wenever they want!
Personally i have smoked marijuana (illegally) but with good cause. I only smoke right after i have a migrain to calm the agonizing headaches the torment me when i make suddle movements or get up to fast.
THANK YOU KANSAS
As far as I know, no one died last year from marijuanna overdose, but went to two funnerals year before for perscription overdoses, on seriously ill people, not drug addicts...
This is BS
I just started taking Zanax for anxiety and panic attacks and they worked ok but when i stopped taking them I had my very first wonderfull seizure hahaha and i dont smoke pot anymore but it worked better then the zanax or any other nasty pill the docs gave me and never gave me a seizure.I got arrested for tryin to grow me 1 plant just recently and that sucked.It was just for me and nobody else cause i know it works for me alone Im alittle skinny and i dont eat hardly at all and when i smoke ive gained weight so come on people let us do what works for us not you!
Legalize it please
Pot is a great organic pain killer with no side effects.
In reply to Legalize it please by Asa (not verified)
I think making marijuana
I think making marijuana available for medical reasons would be awsome. It helps me and I have alot of health issues. It helps with pain and depression without the side affects and with other things too. I would love to see it get used for the right reason as God said in the bible. He grew it for a reason
med. marijuana
I think that med. marijuana would be a benifit both for the paitients and gov. Med. marajuana has so many benefits for the patient. the patient can grow there own pain or anxiety medicine for no cost to them except for the purcheses of there growing licenes, seeds, and supplies to grow. While on the other hand the government and police should make cannibis a low priority offence. Meaning just a fine if you dont have a card. Make it where people who get repeated offenses get a card making more money for uncle sam.
I'ts only a matter of
I'ts only a matter of time...
legalize marijuana
It is time for Uncle Sam to knock off the BS and stop lumping criminals with pot smokers. I suffer from rhumatoid arthritis and i took Vioxx and I had 2 heart attacks back to back....since then I went back to smoking pot and have not had anymore problems. BAN THE SCRIPTS AND LET US BE PAIN FREE NATURALLY! MOST GOVERNMENT IS AGAINST IT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT MAKING PROFIT...WHEN UNCLE SAM FIGURES OUT HOW TO MAKE A KILLING THEY WILL LEGALIZE IT
please
here is something to give you guys to think about....GOD MADE POT ..MAN MADE BEEER ..WHO DO YOOU TRUST..
legialize the green because god pot it here for me ...for me and you...for the both of us....ha
In reply to please by jordan sanchez (not verified)
I agree I trust pot.
I trust pot more than man made prescription drugs.I have a bad back that keeps me in pain almost all of the time and the meds I have tried for muscle relaxers and had an allergic reaction to most of them.Some I am affraid of sezures.
not good enough
Althought this bill is a step in the right direction it still doesn't make any sense and contradicts it's self in everyway. So your gonna allow people with legitimate medical reasons to defend themselves if their busted with their medication but still keep the medication underground making it potentially dangerous to purchases said "perscription." Alas your still gonna bust those few hard working people who are provideing a legitmate service to people who need it. Our goverment needs to grow up and people need to wake up. Everybody knows the "REAL" drug dealer are on a federal level and not the people growing a harmless plant in their back yard or in their bedroom. People need to stand up and take back whats rightfully theirs cause the goverments only intention is to keep thier investments secure and making sure the only educated people are those with money.
Medical Marijuana - Let us use what works!
Once I read it closer, I totally agree with commenter "not good enough". Don't make a law that only says if you have a legitimate medical need for using marijuana and obtain it (still illegally and expensive) and are busted, you can subsequently use that as a legal defense. We need a program that supplies it to authorized patients. I have a disease with chronic pain and will likely die before my state does the right thing! Please help me God.
the right way
The way the gov. should do it is to have it like cali. just let the doctors perscribe it and have people open up their own bud shops for the legal people. then the people with the shops should have to have a growing permit. that way they can tax the shops off the bud they sell and then they can also know that the bud isnt laced or messed with getting all the money that they want and letting us have our relief.
Please legalize it
Please leagalize marijauna.My uncle has lung cancer and is on the highest dose of the pain pump and it is NOT working for his pain.
medical
Hello i am a medical Marijuana user, and all i have to say is after years of taking pills to deal with my cancer pot has helped the most. It has relived pain, reduced cancer cell count, and over all has inproved my quality of life.
help get legal
I think marijuana is a better pain medicine than presription drugs.I have never heard of it killing anyone and it works better to.
Kansas Medical Marijuana Act Petition
Sign this Kansans: http://criminaljustice.change.org/petitions/view/decriminalize_medical_marijuana_in_kansas
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