Pubdate: Tue, 09 Apr 2013
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2013 The Washington Times, LLC.
Contact:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Author: Brian Witte, Associated Press
Page: A14

LAWMAKERS APPROVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL

ANNAPOLIS (AP) - The Maryland General Assembly on Monday approved
allowing medical marijuana programs at research centers that choose to
participate.

The Senate gave the measure a final bipartisan 42-4 vote. Ten of the
Senate's 12 Republicans joined 32 Democrats, while two Democrats and
two Republicans voted against it, sending it to Gov. Martin O'Malley,
who indicated he is likely to sign the bill.

"I'd like to read it first, but I probably would," Mr. O'Malley told
reporters.

The Democratic governor noted his decision would hinge on whether the
bill includes provisions enabling the governor to suspend the program
if the federal government decides to prosecute state employees who
administer it. The provisions were included in the bill earlier this
session, after Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Secretary Joshua Sharfstein said he would support the bill with the
amendments. That was a change from last year when Mr. Sharfstein
expressed concern about potential federal prosecution.

Sen. David R. Brinkley, Frederick Republican, said concerns about
medical marijuana violating federal law have been around for years, as
more than a dozen other states and the District have moved forward.

"At the same time, I think more and more as states start pushing the
envelope on this thing, the federal government has to recognize that
some of these cancer patients - some of these people that are very
sick - you know, they're not doing this because they want to," Mr.
Brinkley said. "They do feel that it's perhaps an element of last
resort, and the last thing we want to do is criminalize who there are,
why they're sick, that they're sick or their caregivers."

Delegate Dan K. Morhaim, Baltimore County Democrat and emergency room
physician, has been pushing to get the bill through for years. He
emphasized that the program would be carefully supervised by academic
medical centers.

While state analysts have projected programs would not be up and
running until 2016, Mr. Morhaim said now that academic medical
research centers have had a chance to look over the details, they are
taking a closer look. Mr. Morhaim said Sinai Hospital in Baltimore has
expressed interest in writing, even if it has not yet committed to
participating. He also said Johns Hopkins has indicated it would take
a closer look.

"They needed to wait to see what the road map looked like, and now
that they have I think you're going to see much quicker movement than
people may have anticipated," Mr. Morhaim said.

Sen. E.J. Pipkin, Cecil Republican, said he voted against the bill
because he believes a comprehensive proposal on the legalization of
marijuana for a variety of purposes should be put before voters
instead of piecemeal measures slowly moving through the
Legislature.

"Let's let them vote on it," Mr. Pipkin said, referring to the state's
voters.

The measure would create a commission within the state health
department to oversee programs.

A participating medical center would be required to specify the
medical conditions it would treat and the criteria by which patients
would be allowed to participate. A medical center also would have to
provide the state health department data on patients and caregivers on
a daily basis. The department would also have to make the data
available to law enforcement.
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