MN - Medical marijuana passes last House committee

[Galaxy]

Medical marijuana passes last House committee
By Andy Birkey 5/8/09 2:37 PM

Minnesotaâ??s medical marijuana bill cleared its last committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives, paving the way for a House vote. It passed the House Finance Committee by a bipartisan vote of 17â??6 after no debate. Several major changes were made to the bill to appease law enforcement.

â??I have tried to accommodate concerns along the way,â?� Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) told the committee. â??Thirteen other states have not had the problems that law enforcement is talking about in this state.â?�

He said they have made significant changes to the bill including a sunset date in fall 2011 and a reduction in the number of plants per patient from 12 plants to 6 plants.

â??Weâ??re seeing remarkable momentum for medical marijuana legislation this year, in the House as well as the Senate,â?� said Rukavina, the House billâ??s sponsor, in a statement. â??Scientifically, thereâ??s just no doubt that medical marijuana can relieve suffering for patients who are terribly ill, and the experience of 13 medical marijuana states shows that we can protect those patients without any of the problems that the doomsayers keep warning about.â?�

Voting for the bill were DFL Reps. Lyndon Carlson, Sr., John Benson, Loren Solberg, Jean Wagenius, Bobby Joe Champion, Karen Clark, Alice Hausman, Bill Hilty, Thomas Huntley, Al Juhnke, Phyllis Kahn, Steve Simon, Michael Paymar and Tom Rukavina. They were joined by Republican Reps. Pat Garofalo, Tom Hackbarth and Mark Buesgens

Voting against were DFL Reps. Kate Knuth, Gene Pelowski, Jr., and Nora Slawik. They were joined by Republican Reps. Ron Shimanski, Mary Kiffmeyer and Tom Emmer.

Galaxy Reviewed by Galaxy on 05-09-2009. MN - Medical marijuana passes last House committee Medical marijuana passes last House committee By Andy Birkey 5/8/09 2:37 PM Minnesotaâ??s medical marijuana bill cleared its last committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives, paving the way for a House vote. It passed the House Finance Committee by a bipartisan vote of 17â??6 after no debate. Several major changes were made to the bill to appease law enforcement. â??I have tried to accommodate concerns along the way,â?� Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) told the committee. Rating: 5

[Galaxy]

By Mike Wyatt | Friday, May 15, 2009

Despite Senate passage, House committee approval and majority support by Minnesotans as evidenced in opinion polls, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has repeatedly deferred to law enforcement on the topic of medical marijuana. Whenever a decision could improve the lives of people with serious medical conditions, people tend to be on board; it's no surprise that Minnesotans want to help our sick and dying. No one wishes to see another human being suffer. Too many of us are either dealing with the loss of a friend or family member due to illness or coping with it ourselves to see a reason to withhold medicine from a person. It is odd at best that Pawlenty has not cited any medical experts and their opinions when he states there are "other alternatives" to treat medical conditions. Police officers and prosecutors are not medical professionals.

When a law-enforcement expert, former Seattle Chief of Police Norm Stamper, testified on how crime has NOT gone up as a result of medical marijuana in Washington state, and teen use had actually gone DOWN in this same time frame, the Minnesota officers in attendance at the hearings quickly went to work in an attempt to discredit Stamper's expert testimony.

To date, the objections of law enforcement against Minnesota's proposed medical marijuana law have had little to nothing to do with the legislation itself, and they have failed to meet with lawmakers to make changes that would supposedly make their jobs easier. Instead, their main objection has been: "It will send the wrong message to kids."

The real message
The message being sent right now is that the government will not allow proper research to take place to prove or disprove claims of medical benefit. Patients are caught in a Catch-22 in which the Drug Enforcement Administration controls medical research of cannabis and will not allow expanded efforts to find medical applications. Scientific and anecdotal evidence continues to mount in countries where the research is allowed.

We tell children that medicine is to be used under a doctor's care and not to be abused. This issue is no different. Law enforcement may find it difficult to backtrack on the message that they have been sending to kids under "DARE" programs all these years. But a little awkwardness should not be a reason to withhold medication from people who see benefit. The message must be consistent, and should be based on scientific facts and medical evidence. We don't want kids taking Oxycodone either, but it has a distinct role and application in medical treatment despite its addictive nature and potential for overdose. Locking up your medicine cabinet should be phase one in keeping drugs out of the reach of children and ensuring their safety. Medical marijuana is no different.

Law enforcement also states that crime will go up if medical marijuana were allowed. With 13 states allowing medical marijuana, if this were true, I believe citizens would be calling for the repeal of said laws. Instead, many of these 13 states have actually expanded their medical marijuana programs. Forcing patients to buy their medication on the street is one sure-fire way to ensure that criminal elements may benefit monetarily from the sick and dying. Allowing patients to purchase their medication from a nonprofit organization makes sense. Law enforcement goes beyond reason to suggest that criminals would break into these "compassion centers" to steal the medication; if a pharmacy with a myriad of narcotics can peacefully exist, so too can a compassion center.

Abuse of law would be a felony
Further objections by law enforcement contend that their jobs will be impossible to accomplish if patients are registered with the state and carry identification cards. With a database of approved medical marijuana patients, compassion centers established to get their medication from, and identification cards for patients to carry, it is difficult to identify why this would complicate the jobs of law enforcement. Abuse of the medical marijuana law would carry a serious felony charge. Since 1976, marijuana possession has been a misdemeanor offense in Minnesota. We are one of 13 progressive states that have not made marijuana possession a serious offense or law enforcement priority. We've already been living with some of the most relaxed marijuana laws in the nation in case you haven't been aware of it. The "doomsday" scenarios painted by law enforcement just have not panned out, and allowing registered patients access to the medication their doctor deems beneficial will do nothing to change the public safety landscape of Minnesota.

Laws that prohibit impaired driving are already in place, and are applicable to medical marijuana patients. Many pharmaceutical drugs expressly state that patients are not to drive while taking them. Dispensaries in other states already place such warnings on the medical marijuana they sell. Furthermore, consumption in public places of medical marijuana would not be allowed. The law would do nothing to change clean indoor air laws in place.

Law subject to sunset provision
Moreover, a two-year "sunset" provision has been added to the law. If problems arise (13 states have shown that there are not problems), there will be a method to address them.

I urge Minnesotans to contact their representatives and Gov. Tim Pawlenty to ask for their support of medical marijuana in Minnesota. You or your loved one may not need this legislation at present, but one day you might. Having all tools necessary for patients and doctors to combat serious illness just makes sense, and law enforcement has not raised any objections that deal with the actual proposed legislation. Pawlenty has also failed to raise objections based on medical research or expert medical testimony.

Lawmakers make laws. Law enforcement enforces the laws. Citizens are expected to follow the laws. When the law places you in the position of choosing to be law-abiding or help a loved one to lessen his or her suffering, the law in unjust, cruel and unusual. Minnesota's seriously ill are stuck in the middle of partisan politics. Let compassion and medical science chart our course.

Mike Wyatt, of St. Paul, is a Crohn's disease patient.

[Galaxy]

Medical marijuana bill heads to Pawlenty's desk
5/19/2009 12:25:02 AM

Associated Press

ST. PAUL -- A bill to allow medical use of marijuana for terminally ill patients is headed for Gov. Tim Pawlenty's desk.

The bill cleared the House 70-64 and later passed the Senate 38-28.

House lawmakers amended the legislation to restrict medical marijuana to terminally ill patients with severe symptoms.

The Senate accepted the changes, which made the bill stricter than the Senate version.

Debate in both chambers split Republicans and Democrats, with politicians of both parties on both sides of the issue.

Pawlenty is likely to veto the bill. He has said he shares law enforcement concerns about expanded drug use.

Minn. Senate vote on a medical marijuana bill

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Votes Monday as the Senate, on a 38-28 vote, approved a measure to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana. Voting yes were 34 Democrats and 4 Republicans. Voting no were 12 Democrats and 16 Republicans.

DEMOCRATS VOTING YES

Anderson (St. Paul); Bakk (Cook); Berglin (Minneapolis); Betzold (Fridley); Bonoff (Minnetonka); Carlson (Eagan); Chaudhary (Fridley); Clark (St. Cloud); Cohen (St. Paul); Dahle (Northfield); Dibble (Minneapolis); Doll (Burnsville); Erickson Ropes (Winona); Foley (Coon Rapids); Higgins (Minneapolis); Kelash (Minneapolis); Latz (St. Louis Park); Lourey (Kerrick); Marty (Roseville); Metzen (South St. Paul); Moua (St. Paul); Murphy (Red Wing); Pappas (St. Paul); Pogemiller (Minneapolis); Prettner Solon (Duluth); Rest (New Hope); Rummel (White Bear Lake); Saltzman (Woodbury); Scheid (Brooklyn Park); Sheran (Mankato); Sieben (Newport); Tomassoni (Chisholm); Torres Ray (Minneapolis); Wiger (Maplewood)

DEMOCRATS VOTING NO

Fobbe (Zimmerman); Kubly (Granite Falls); Langseth (Glyndon); Lynch (Rochester); Olseen (Harris); Olson, M. (Bemidji); Saxhaug (Grand Rapids); Skoe (Clearbrook); Skogen (Hewitt); Sparks (Austin); Stumpf (Plummer); Vickerman (Tracy)

REPUBLICANS VOTING YES

Johnson (Ham Lake); Koering (Fort Ripley); Michel (Edina); Vandeveer (Forest Lake)

REPUBLICANS VOTING NO

Day (Owatonna); Dille (Dassel); Fischbach (Paynesville); Frederickson (New Ulm); Gerlach (Apple Valley); Gimse (Willmar); Hann (Eden Prairie); Ingebrigtsen (Alexandria); Jungbauer (East Bethel); Koch (Buffalo); Limmer (Maple Grove); Ortman (Chanhassen); Pariseau (Farmington); Robling (Jordan); Rosen (Fairmont); Senjem (Rochester)

REPUBLICANS NOT VOTING

Olson, G. (Minnetrista)

[Galaxy]

By MIKE KASZUBA and PAT DOYLE, Star Tribune staff writers

Last update: May 22, 2009 - 11:42 PM

Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed an emotionally charged proposal late Friday to allow terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes.

Pawlenty, who in 2008 set an apparent single-year record for most vetoes by a Minnesota governor, indicated in a letter that he was torn by the medical marijuana legislation. He said that while he was "sympathetic to those dealing with end-of-life illnesses," he felt marijuana poses "serious public safety and health risks." Legalizing marijuana, even under limited conditions, "could serve to compound these problems," he wrote.

[Galaxy]

2010 Constitutional Amendment Likely

CONTACT: Former Rep. Chris DeLaForest (R-Andover).......................................... ............(763) 439-1178

Canna Zine News - Home : ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA -- Supporters of medical marijuana legislation declared their intention to continue the fight to protect patients despite Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of the bill tonight, raising the possibility of a constitutional amendment on the 2010 ballot.

Before passing the legislation, the House amended it to greatly narrow its scope. The ability of patients to grow their own medical marijuana was removed, and the bill was narrowed to cover only patients suffering from terminal illnesses.

"I'm disappointed in the governor's action, but I'm not giving up," said Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia), sponsor of the House bill. "This would have been the narrowest, strictest medical marijuana law in the country, but the bottom line remains that there are patients suffering terribly who need protection, and I won't stop till they are protected."
"For the governor to veto this legislation even after the House narrowed it so much that thousands of suffering patients would have been without protection is just unbelievably cruel," said Senate bill sponsor Sen. Steve Murphy (DFL-Red Wing). "Since the governor has refused to listen to reason or to the overwhelming majority of Minnesotans, we have no choice but to bypass him and take this directly to the people through a constitutional amendment."

"The governor thinks I'm a criminal for allowing my daughter some comfort during the last months of her life," said Joni Whiting of Jordan, whose adult daughter's suffering was
relieved by medical marijuana while she was undergoing treatment for the melanoma that eventually killed her. "I don't know how he sleeps at night, but I do know I'm not giving up until others in my daughter's situation are protected."

Thirteen states, comprising approximately one-quarter of the U.S. population, now permit medical use of marijuana under state law if a physician has recommended it.

[gypski]

Sorry Timmy boy, but you are the greatest threat to public safety in Minnesota. No medical cannabis users or responsible adult users. You and Coleman are nothing but boot licking, ass kissing hacks for the right-wing crazies. :jointsmile: