Pubdate: Thu, 07 Feb 2013
Source: Richmond Register (KY)
Copyright: 2013 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.richmondregister.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4305
Author: Ronnie Ellis, CNHI News Service

EKU STUDENTS VOICE SUPPORT FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA

FRANKFORT - Erin Hopkins, an Eastern Kentucky University premed 
biology major from Corbin, understands marijuana won't cure all ills.

But that's no reason, she says, to ignore the compassionate medical 
uses of the illegal drug.

"We can't cure everyone with cancer; we can't cure anyone with AIDS," 
Hopkins told about 100 people gathered in a room at the Capitol Annex 
Wednesday to voice support for passage of a bill to legalize medical 
marijuana in Kentucky.

"But the least we can do is to allow them to relieve some of the side 
effects with a plant that grows naturally," she said.

Sen. Perry Clark, DLouisville, is sponsoring a measure which would 
legalize the medical use of marijuana, allow it to be grown in 
limited amounts for that purpose and establishing maximum amounts 
persons could possess for medical reasons and provide for state 
regulation. There are 18 other states which allow some limited 
medical uses for marijuana.

He named the bill the Gatewood Galbraith Medical Marijuana Act in 
memory of the man who openly campaigned for the legalization of 
marijuana and later hemp. Galbraith, who ran unsuccessfully for 
Commissioner of Agriculture, Attorney General and Governor several 
times, died last year.

Clark said the purpose of the bill is "compassionate medicine." The 
drug or extracts of oil from the plant, Clark said, can effectively 
treat or ameliorate nausea from chemotherapy, treat pain, ease 
symptoms of Parkinson's Disease and some studies indicate cure some 
forms of cancer.

"There's science behind this - it's a powerful medicine," Clark told 
a crowd of supporters.

And public attitudes are changing, Clark contends. Last summer when 
Clark announced he would again file such a bill - he's offered it 
past sessions - he told reporters he'd "smoked a little weed." He 
said Wednesday, his re-election after making that public admission 
was proof the public no longer fears marijuana and supports 
relaxation of laws governing its use.

Tony Ashley, another supporter who emceed the meeting, said Clark's 
bill "is not about smoking pot, it's about medicine; it's about 
healing your body."

Kallie Gentry, 20, a social work student at EKU who is originally 
from Columbia, Ky., said she's observed people through her studies 
and work who suffered pain and other symptoms which marijuana could help.

A fellow EKU social work student, Mortisha Lynch, 31, of Richmond, 
said marijuana "is a plant. There's no reason for it to be illegal." 
It can be effective in treating multiple symptoms, Lynch said, and 
costs far less than synthetic, artificially produced pharmaceutical drugs.

Both women said they do not use marijuana personally and each 
acknowledged smaller Kentucky communities may not be entirely 
comfortable with the idea of legalizing marijuana just yet.

Gentry said the people of her native Adair County "would probably say 
no" if asked whether to pass Clark's measure, but she and Lynch said 
in communities like Richmond with so many younger students and in 
less rural areas, attitudes are changing.

Clark said with all the discussion of legalizing industrial hemp, a 
measure pushed by Republican Commissioner of Agriculture and 
supported by many in the Republican Senate, there is more willingness 
now than in the past to discuss marijuana.

"The atmosphere has approved a lot," Clark said. "With the open 
discussion about hemp, things have changed. We couldn't have had that 
discussion in the past."

He doesn't think the atmosphere has improved so much that passage of 
his bill is likely in the current session but Clark said he will keep 
pushing and "it's just a matter of time."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom