Medical Marijuana Debate Reignited

[boulder]

6:23 pm EST January 17, 2003 -- A controversial bill is still smoking in the State House. Medical marijuana was snuffed out by the Senate last May but over the summer, a committee studied the issues surrounding legalizing the drug for patients.

 

Today the Senate Judiciary Committee reviewed its findings, and it's likely this bill will be brought to life again.

 

Katherine Perera has been living with HIV for 15 years and today she tried to explain to Senate Judiciary members how important marijuana is to her for pain relief.

 

"I think there are a lot of examples of people using it medically in a very responsible fashion."

 

Perera was one of 12 members on the Medical Marijuana Study Committee.

 

Their report finds there is medical value in using pot for treatment.

 

Senator John Campbell, a Democrat from Windsor County said, "Their lives are affected by the use or non-use of this drug so therefore I think that compassion dictates that we need to address the situation as quickly as possible."

 

It's likely the Senate's Health and Welfare Committee will be introducing a new bill, to legalize the drug for medical purposes very soon.

 

Last year's battle to push a medical marijuana bill through the legislature hasn't faded from the memory of lawmakers, but this year the session is just beginning and for awhile, time is on their side.

 

Campbell said, "I really believe that we're down to just 2 issues. And that is, number one: the acquisition issue, and number two: the dealing with the doctors and physicians and the federal government, and what they're going to do."

 

Perera said, "I think that it's really important to give patients the choices and give them the right to speak with their doctors about which choices are appropriate."

 

This time around that could happen for patients like Perera because some legislators feel support for the bill is growing while the kinks are being worked out.

 

http://www.abc22.com/home.php?story=2290