Marijuana on panel agenda

A Senate health committee will hear testimony today on a bill that would allow certain medical conditions as a defense against prosecution for marijuana possession.

Under the Kansas Medical Marijuana Act, people with a debilitating disease could present to the judge a "written certification" from their doctor attesting to the relief marijuana provides.

"(This bill) doesn't legalize marijuana, it doesn't decriminalize it," said Laura Green, director of Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition. "It just allows a person who has a serious debilitating medical condition who gets arrested for marijuana to bring it up to a court."

Jon Hauxwell, a physician from Hays, will testify in favor of the bill. He used to work on a reservation in Montana where he dealt with substance abuse issues. He said he understands the opposition to this bill, but he added that the medical community has never allowed those who abuse a drug to deter doctors from prescribing it to patients in need. He listed morphine and Ritalin as other legally prescribed drugs to which patients can get addicted.

"We shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater," Hauxwell said.

Former Attorney General Robert Stephan, a cancer survivor himself, also will testify in favor of the bill. In August, he came out in favor of legalizing the drug for medical use.

He said at the time he believes "the state should not pre-empt the role of the physician when it comes to deciding what is best for ill Kansans."

The legislation defines a debilitating condition as "cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, hepatitis C, amyotrophic" or any other condition that causes a host of debilitating symptoms.

Current law doesn't allow judges or juries to consider a medical condition when prescribing punishment for possession of the drug.
CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal - Marijuana on panel agenda

Best of luck to all our friends in Kansas!:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

I love seeing new states considering medical marijuana measures..Also nice that another state in the bible belt is doing this..Maybe oklahoma will take suit...There's a bill still active that would establish a legislative task force to study the medical use of marijuana and make recommendations regarding legislation here in oklahoma for medical marijuana...Go Kansas, and go Oklahoma, time to realize what you're doing to people only trying to improve their quality of life..

Everyone back home is talking about this. Not really, but some people are. Near Topeka is Lawrence and Kansas City. They are by far more liberal than the rest of Kansas. It is a step, but that bill HAS to go through the state legislature first, and it will not survive. There is no initative referendum process in the state of Kansas. The odds of that kind of legislation passing is slim to none, and the odds are even better that local law enforcement would not even recognize it. Not that they wouldn't get sued, but they would not acknowledge this at all I promise you! :thumbsup: I lived there for 26 years of my 27 on this earth, it is just going to be another blip in the news. I heard about this a little last year. I am pretty sure that at this point there is no bill, not one that has been introduced on the state congress, and again, no matter what, even on the fluke they get to the stage that someone in fact does propose the legislation, it will die a horrible silly death, and then the news blurb will be, Kansas strikes down Medical Marijuana Overwhelmingly. You watch.:thumbsup:

Atleast more people are talking about it. Its the best way to get the word out. Most of Americans I think know that the demonization of pot has gotten out of hand. It helps to just bring up the issue in day to day conversations. More and more people get confortable discussing it and eventually they'll do something about it.

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Originally Posted by killerweed420

Atleast more people are talking about it. Its the best way to get the word out. Most of Americans I think know that the demonization of pot has gotten out of hand. It helps to just bring up the issue in day to day conversations. More and more people get confortable discussing it and eventually they'll do something about it.

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Hey you are right, it is a good thing, just didn't want anyone to get any false hope about Kansas! That is likely only to get traction in the KC, Lawrence, Topeka metro areas, outside of that most of the people in the other 9/10s of the state will not support it, partly because some of them are fanatically against it, but most just oppose it personally, just because they think that it has no value for anyone. They are wrong of course, but that is what the majority thinks, and majority rules. Hopefully just the conversation will start opening more people up, and who knows, 500 years from now!:D