Get Active Subscribe Support Us

TIME FOR PA TO RECOGNIZE POT'S MEDICINAL VALUE

Pennsylvania is far behind the curve in recognizing that marijuana has legitimate medicinal uses.

A bill introduced last week by state Sens.  Dylan Leach, a Montgomery County Democrat, and Mike Folmer, a Republican from Lebanon County, would begin the process of moving medicinal pot use from the realm of politics to that of medicine.

The bill is far more restrictive than those in 18 states that have approved medicinal marijuana use, and it simply does not entertain legal general recreational use of marijuana.

Rather, the bill would authorize a specific form of marijuana derivative, to be administered by dropper, for children who suffer from seizure disorders and, potentially, others seeking relief from chemotherapy treatment.

Doctors would be limited to prescribing marijuana-based medicines that have a higher concentration of cannabidiol, the chemical in pot with therapeutic applications, than tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive agent in marijuana.

As Leach said while introducing the bill, there is no valid reason to not make available non-addictive, non-intoxicating medicine to help children deal with seizures.

It's not a law enforcement issue.  It's not a political issue.  It's a health matter.  Doctors in Pennsylvania should be empowered to use pot-derived medicine in cases where it is appropriate.