Pubdate: Sun, 16 Mar 2014
Source: Republican & Herald (PA)
Copyright: 2014 Associated Press
Contact:  http://republicanherald.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1047
Author: Peter Jackson, Associated Press

HANGER MAY HAVE BOOSTED MARIJUANA BILL

HARRISBURG (AP) - Marijuana was the issue that set John Hanger apart 
from the other Democratic candidates for governor, and proponents of 
legalizing the drug for medical purposes in Pennsylvania credit him 
with drawing attention to their cause before he dropped out of the 
race this week.

Hanger supported the medical pot proposal, but he also was the only 
candidate to advocate the more radical step of legalizing the drug 
statewide - a proposal he put on even footing with issues of wider 
appeal such as creating jobs and improving public schools.

"Schools not jails, jobs not jails, legalize and tax marijuana right 
now," is how Hanger summed up his platform at a forum during last 
month's Pennsylvania Progressive Summit.

No one expects Pennsylvania to legalize the drug anytime soon - 
Colorado and Washington state are the only two that have done that - 
but sponsors of a leading medical marijuana bill in the Legislature 
said Hanger's emphasis on marijuana helped elevate public awareness 
of the issue.

"As far as getting the word out on a statewide basis ... it didn't 
hurt at all," Sen. Mike Folmer, a conservative Republican from 
Lebanon County and the bill's prime sponsor, said.

"It gave the issue attention and it certainly galvanized" the parents 
of sick children who say marijuana could provide relief that 
conventional medicines have not, co-sponsor Sen. Daylin Leach, 
D-Montgomery, said. "John Hanger was a hero to them."

Hanger exited the Democratic nomination race Thursday, saying he 
could not compete against frontrunner Tom Wolf 's ongoing statewide 
TV campaign that began in January.

The medical marijuana bill would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana 
or its extracts for certain patients, such as children afflicted with 
epileptic seizures and people with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy.

At a hearing before the Senate Law and Justice Committee this year, 
parents of children with epilepsy told lawmakers heartbreaking 
stories about the turmoil in their lives and urged them to pass the bill.

So far, similar laws have been passed in 20 states, including 
neighboring Delaware and New Jersey, and the District of Columbia.

Public support for the measure is strong. A statewide poll of 
Pennsylvania voters released this month by Connecticut's Quinnipiac 
University showed 85 percent believe adults should be allowed to use 
marijuana for medical purpose if their doctor prescribes it.

Among the Democrats running for governor, the bill is supported by 
Wolf, a York businessman and three other candidates - U.S. Rep. 
Allyson Schwartz, former state Auditor General Jack Wagner and Katie 
McGinty, Hanger's predecessor as head of the state Department of 
Environmental Protection.

All of them but Wagner also favor some reduction in penalties for 
possession of small amounts of pot. The other candidate, state 
Treasurer Rob McCord, is undecided about the need to change the current law.

Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, a former state attorney general, has 
said he would veto any legalization bill, even if it was limited to 
medical uses, because he considers marijuana a "gateway drug" whose 
use leads to more dangerous drugs.

Leach, who is running for Congress, said there is "no rational 
reason" to oppose the legislation.

"Very few people understand why we're not letting sick people get 
medicine," he said.

Leach and Folmer said they are hopeful that the bill will pass both 
houses in the weeks ahead, and, if it does, Leach speculated that 
Corbett would not stand in its way.

"I don't believe he'll veto it at the end of the day. .... He's 
changed his mind on a whole bunch of issues," Leach said, citing 
Corbett's December reversal when he said he would be willing to sign 
a bill outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom