PA Senate considers medical marijuana, patients call for support

PA Senate considers medical marijuana, patients call for support

On Tuesday May 4, 2010 Senator Daylin Leach introduced The Pennsylvania Compassionate Use Act. A companion bill in the House that saw committee hearing in December is still active. The Senator stood at a Capitol press conference surrounded by patients, doctors and advocates with the group Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana (PA4MMJ).

“Medical Marijuana has been proven repeatedly to help people who are desperately ill. It is nothing more than gratuitous cruelty to deny it to them,” Senator Leach said at the press conference. Rep. Mark Cohen, who introduced the bill last year in the House spoke as well.

The Seate introduction marks an important milestone for medical cannabis in PA because having the bill active in both houses of the legislature is essential to it being passed.

The bill was assigned number SB 1350 and referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. Public hearings before that committee should be scheduled soon.

The medical marijuana program outlined in the PA bill would allow home cultivation and the taxed sale of cannabis through Compassion Centers. A doctor must approve and recommend the use for specific medical conditions and each patient would carry a registry card.

Patients, their families and local advocates are asking for PA residents to contact their state Senators asking them to co-sponsor and support SB 1350. Sandra “Sandie” Stronko-Crue is an MS patient who attended the 5/4 introduction:

“We need this in Pennsylvania.”

NORML and PA4MMJ have easy to use online contact forms to email or fax elected officials in Pennsylvania about the bill. Residents of PA can contribute to local safe access by taking just five minutes to send and email or call.

PA4MMJ legislative contact forms: https://www.phillynorml.org/medijuana/involve/contact_officials/10

NORML CAPWIZ for PA: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=13244866

Public education seminars on medical marijuana will be held throughout the summer by PA4MMJ. Locations are being sought around the state.

Comments are closed.

© 2024 PhillyNORML. All rights reserved.