Medical marijuana wins in another Senate committee

Antaletriangle · 03-12-2009, 12:16 PM

http://minnesotaindependent.com/2869...nate-committee
Success of Medical Marijuana Initiatives Has Conservative "Drug War" Tyrants Shaking in Their Boots
By Andy Birkey 3/11/09 7:53 AM

(Wikipedia)
The Senate Health and Human Services Budget Division heard a controversial medical marijuana bill on Tuesday. The bill would allow for severely ill patients to procure marijuana either through a nonprofit registered through the state or to grow up to 12 plants themselves. The bill passed the committee by a voice vote, but not before a grilling from Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont.

Rosen wanted to know how to measure THC content in medical marijuana, how to prevent tampering, and what the sentencing guidelines would be for abuse.

But even further, “I’m very concerned about the parameters of the products that is coming out. Who’s growing it, what is grown, what type of herbicides and pesticides are being used on the product?”

Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, the chief author of the bill, said that the small number of plants, a 12-plant limit grown by the patient or by a nonprofit in a locked facility, negate the need for chemicals. “Other than Miracle Grow, I think that’s about it,” he said.

Rosen continued, “Who is controlling the quality of these plants? You are using a plant as a medicinal painkiller, and there is a lot of room for tampering.”

Murphy said, “Since this state was formed, there have been zero deaths from use of marijuana.” He pointed out that these are users of illegal marijuana, which is highly prone to tampering.

And in terms of THC content in marijuana, one of the plant’s active chemicals, Murphy said that patients control their own dosage. “There are no cases in the history of the world of anyone overdosing on marijuana and dying. I mean zero,” he said.

But after several rounds of questions, Murphy speculated on what the real concerns of opponents: that this bill would be a break from drug war policy. “You know, this country has spent billions on the war on drugs and [drug use] more prevalent than it ever has been,” he said. “This bill is simply to allow these patients to use this legally without being outside the bounds of the law.”

The bill faces its next test in the Senate Finance Committee and, if passed, will be considered by the full Senate.

Comments:
crohnsguy
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 10:17 am
Shame on Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont. If you don’t know what you are speaking of, how can you raise objections? The fertilizers used are the same used for tomatoes, and there are all natural, organics available. Sen. Rosen, are you equally concerned about people growing tomatoes in their back yard? Tampering? By whom? It’s to be cultivated in an indoor, locked facility by non-profit organizations or by patients if they are physically up to the task. Since when are we “concerned” about people tampering with their own medications? Good grief, the reasons for opposition get more watered-down all the time. If you are going to object, at least do so AFTER doing some basic research on the topic.

Another good day for patients in Minnesota. Let’s hope that the politicians do the right thing and butt out of the patient/doctor relationship (Pawlenty.) Government is involved where their noses don’t belong.
data4t
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 12:24 pm
If the funds used to fight marijuanna as part of the drug war were diverted to creating a system for legalized use and taxation, the U.S. would not only save millions of dollars but it could become a new source of tax revenue for the states (see California).

Sen. Rosen - Do some research before flapping your jaw! Your ignorance is blinding!!
Conservative Christian 1976
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
Minnesota has the choice of either spending money to prosecute sick people who use marijuana or improving the public revenue by taxing this wide spread but unregulated underground economy.
Do we really want to spend $20,000 a year to lock up someone for using marijuana to ease their nausea, or would we rather take in some sales taxes on their use of this widespread product, or even a personal-use-and-cultivation permit ($100 a year for 12 plants, something like that).
Let’s put the drug dealing criminals out of business and let ordinary Americans grow a little marijuana in their own back yards.
crohnsguy
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
Minnesota has already decriminalized marijuana possession back in the early 1970’s after the Nixon administration’s own committee came back and recommended full legalization. So why is it, given this is already a low priority for law enforcement in MN, that they want to keep this medicine from the sick and dying? This is absurd! Tell Pawlenty as much!
tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us
David McLaughlin
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 4:30 pm
Oh, Rosen suddenly cares about dangerous pesticides being used on products we consume? Does she want to mandate organic farming methods at all of her giant agribusiness sponsors also? Meanwhile HR 875 would make organic farming methods illegal! These senators are so crooked the whole world can see it - they will go down in history as great villains in their support of the war on drugs, war on terror and war on food.
David McLaughlin
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
Marijuana (and hemp) can be used for medicine (Big Pharma competition), fuel (Big Oil competition), clothing (Big Cotton competition), recreation (Big Alcohol competition), and even food (Big Agribusiness competition). it grows in all 50 states without the use of pesticide (Big Chemical competition). Does anyone still wonder why it is illegal?
Gary
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 8:14 pm
Why does the government have to be involved at all other than a reasonable 7% sales tax or whatever tax the particular state already has. NOT this horrendus $100 per ounce tax some of these lawmakers are touting. WHY do they need to peanalize those already sick with exhorbant charges for a weed that cost almost nothging to grow? And why must any concerned with it be NON PROFIT? Is big Pharma non profit? Not by a long shot when they are charging $20 PER PILL for marinol, which in synthetic pot. Why must it be made synthetic just to fill the coffers of big Pharma when it can be grown naturally and have more benefitial things in it for us? It should be TOTALLY legalized thereby allowing THOUSANDS of new jobs, farmers growing hemp for cloth that is more high quality than cotton, but does NOT need all the pesticides and fartilizer that cotton needs, oil from the seeds that can be used for food, cooking and more important, bio-diesel to fuel our cars and trucks almost totally eliminating our need on foreign oil, clothing, textiles, so many uses OTHER than smoking it which in itself is beneficial. NO one has EVER died from taking pot, NO one gets lung cancer from it and dies as does 500,000, that is on half of a MILLION people who die from legal cigarettes. The government should get OUT of the pot business and let private industry and people take care of it themselves, the government only and ALWAYS complicates things and costs us much more money in the long and short run. It is the chemical company lobies, pharma lobies, and liquor lobbies that are against it, it would so drastically cut into their obsscene profits. Big pharma would loose so much business when you can use a weed that you can grow in your back yard that GOD put here for nothing to help with so many health concerns. Smoke it, eat it in cookies, drink it in a tea and you do NOT have to worry about the amount or quality as you CANNOT overdose on it. The more powerful a plant you have, you just naturally use less of it as you can feel the effects as you use it. And as far as dangerous driving, NEVER do you see road rage from a smoker. They usually are on cruise control to keep from going TO SLOW, drive in the slow lane, leave more room for the cars in front and generally concentrate on what it is they are doing, NOT like drinking alcohol where you are all over the road and would drive 140 miles per hour if your car would do it. LESS government and MORE power to the people. Let us run our own lives and leave us alone, MUCH LESS put us in jail for years at $40,000 per person for using a harmless but beneficial plant. Why must the lives of otherwise law abiding, tax paying, church going, family raising hard working Americans be arrested and have their lives destroyed, their children torn from their families and put in foster homes because of a beneficial herb, NOT a drug? It even says in one of the first verses of Genesis for the bible thumpers that God has put every seed bearing plant AND HERB on this earth and it should be for us as meat. Keep the eye drops handy, and one day maybe we as a supposedly free people in a supposidly democracy WILL be able to vote and have our votes finally count, NOT be ignored by the dictatorial federal government that RULES us as though our vote is NOTHING. Gary )^_^)
thevoice@voicedup.com
Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 8:40 pm

03-12-2009, 12:16 PM	#1
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	Medical marijuana wins in another Senate committee http://minnesotaindependent.com/2869...nate-committee Success of Medical Marijuana Initiatives Has Conservative "Drug War" Tyrants Shaking in Their Boots By Andy Birkey 3/11/09 7:53 AM (Wikipedia) The Senate Health and Human Services Budget Division heard a controversial medical marijuana bill on Tuesday. The bill would allow for severely ill patients to procure marijuana either through a nonprofit registered through the state or to grow up to 12 plants themselves. The bill passed the committee by a voice vote, but not before a grilling from Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont. Rosen wanted to know how to measure THC content in medical marijuana, how to prevent tampering, and what the sentencing guidelines would be for abuse. But even further, “I’m very concerned about the parameters of the products that is coming out. Who’s growing it, what is grown, what type of herbicides and pesticides are being used on the product?” Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, the chief author of the bill, said that the small number of plants, a 12-plant limit grown by the patient or by a nonprofit in a locked facility, negate the need for chemicals. “Other than Miracle Grow, I think that’s about it,” he said. Rosen continued, “Who is controlling the quality of these plants? You are using a plant as a medicinal painkiller, and there is a lot of room for tampering.” Murphy said, “Since this state was formed, there have been zero deaths from use of marijuana.” He pointed out that these are users of illegal marijuana, which is highly prone to tampering. And in terms of THC content in marijuana, one of the plant’s active chemicals, Murphy said that patients control their own dosage. “There are no cases in the history of the world of anyone overdosing on marijuana and dying. I mean zero,” he said. But after several rounds of questions, Murphy speculated on what the real concerns of opponents: that this bill would be a break from drug war policy. “You know, this country has spent billions on the war on drugs and [drug use] more prevalent than it ever has been,” he said. “This bill is simply to allow these patients to use this legally without being outside the bounds of the law.” The bill faces its next test in the Senate Finance Committee and, if passed, will be considered by the full Senate. Comments: crohnsguy Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 10:17 am Shame on Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont. If you don’t know what you are speaking of, how can you raise objections? The fertilizers used are the same used for tomatoes, and there are all natural, organics available. Sen. Rosen, are you equally concerned about people growing tomatoes in their back yard? Tampering? By whom? It’s to be cultivated in an indoor, locked facility by non-profit organizations or by patients if they are physically up to the task. Since when are we “concerned” about people tampering with their own medications? Good grief, the reasons for opposition get more watered-down all the time. If you are going to object, at least do so AFTER doing some basic research on the topic. Another good day for patients in Minnesota. Let’s hope that the politicians do the right thing and butt out of the patient/doctor relationship (Pawlenty.) Government is involved where their noses don’t belong. data4t Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 12:24 pm If the funds used to fight marijuanna as part of the drug war were diverted to creating a system for legalized use and taxation, the U.S. would not only save millions of dollars but it could become a new source of tax revenue for the states (see California). Sen. Rosen - Do some research before flapping your jaw! Your ignorance is blinding!! Conservative Christian 1976 Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 1:06 pm Minnesota has the choice of either spending money to prosecute sick people who use marijuana or improving the public revenue by taxing this wide spread but unregulated underground economy. Do we really want to spend $20,000 a year to lock up someone for using marijuana to ease their nausea, or would we rather take in some sales taxes on their use of this widespread product, or even a personal-use-and-cultivation permit ($100 a year for 12 plants, something like that). Let’s put the drug dealing criminals out of business and let ordinary Americans grow a little marijuana in their own back yards. crohnsguy Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 3:54 pm Minnesota has already decriminalized marijuana possession back in the early 1970’s after the Nixon administration’s own committee came back and recommended full legalization. So why is it, given this is already a low priority for law enforcement in MN, that they want to keep this medicine from the sick and dying? This is absurd! Tell Pawlenty as much! tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us David McLaughlin Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 4:30 pm Oh, Rosen suddenly cares about dangerous pesticides being used on products we consume? Does she want to mandate organic farming methods at all of her giant agribusiness sponsors also? Meanwhile HR 875 would make organic farming methods illegal! These senators are so crooked the whole world can see it - they will go down in history as great villains in their support of the war on drugs, war on terror and war on food. David McLaughlin Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 4:32 pm Marijuana (and hemp) can be used for medicine (Big Pharma competition), fuel (Big Oil competition), clothing (Big Cotton competition), recreation (Big Alcohol competition), and even food (Big Agribusiness competition). it grows in all 50 states without the use of pesticide (Big Chemical competition). Does anyone still wonder why it is illegal? Gary Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 8:14 pm Why does the government have to be involved at all other than a reasonable 7% sales tax or whatever tax the particular state already has. NOT this horrendus $100 per ounce tax some of these lawmakers are touting. WHY do they need to peanalize those already sick with exhorbant charges for a weed that cost almost nothging to grow? And why must any concerned with it be NON PROFIT? Is big Pharma non profit? Not by a long shot when they are charging $20 PER PILL for marinol, which in synthetic pot. Why must it be made synthetic just to fill the coffers of big Pharma when it can be grown naturally and have more benefitial things in it for us? It should be TOTALLY legalized thereby allowing THOUSANDS of new jobs, farmers growing hemp for cloth that is more high quality than cotton, but does NOT need all the pesticides and fartilizer that cotton needs, oil from the seeds that can be used for food, cooking and more important, bio-diesel to fuel our cars and trucks almost totally eliminating our need on foreign oil, clothing, textiles, so many uses OTHER than smoking it which in itself is beneficial. NO one has EVER died from taking pot, NO one gets lung cancer from it and dies as does 500,000, that is on half of a MILLION people who die from legal cigarettes. The government should get OUT of the pot business and let private industry and people take care of it themselves, the government only and ALWAYS complicates things and costs us much more money in the long and short run. It is the chemical company lobies, pharma lobies, and liquor lobbies that are against it, it would so drastically cut into their obsscene profits. Big pharma would loose so much business when you can use a weed that you can grow in your back yard that GOD put here for nothing to help with so many health concerns. Smoke it, eat it in cookies, drink it in a tea and you do NOT have to worry about the amount or quality as you CANNOT overdose on it. The more powerful a plant you have, you just naturally use less of it as you can feel the effects as you use it. And as far as dangerous driving, NEVER do you see road rage from a smoker. They usually are on cruise control to keep from going TO SLOW, drive in the slow lane, leave more room for the cars in front and generally concentrate on what it is they are doing, NOT like drinking alcohol where you are all over the road and would drive 140 miles per hour if your car would do it. LESS government and MORE power to the people. Let us run our own lives and leave us alone, MUCH LESS put us in jail for years at $40,000 per person for using a harmless but beneficial plant. Why must the lives of otherwise law abiding, tax paying, church going, family raising hard working Americans be arrested and have their lives destroyed, their children torn from their families and put in foster homes because of a beneficial herb, NOT a drug? It even says in one of the first verses of Genesis for the bible thumpers that God has put every seed bearing plant AND HERB on this earth and it should be for us as meat. Keep the eye drops handy, and one day maybe we as a supposedly free people in a supposidly democracy WILL be able to vote and have our votes finally count, NOT be ignored by the dictatorial federal government that RULES us as though our vote is NOTHING. Gary )^_^) thevoice@voicedup.com Comment posted March 11, 2009 @ 8:40 pm