Pubdate: Tue, 18 Mar 2014
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Authors: Jenna Johnson and John Wagner
Page: B4

MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL CLEARS HOUSE

The Maryland House of Delegates approved legislation Monday intended
to make it possible for patients to use medical marijuana, which was
legalized last year but remains unavailable in the state.

Delegates voted 127 to 9 to allow "certified physicians" to discuss
the option of medical marijuana with patients and then recommend its
use. Those patients or their caregivers could obtain a 30-day supply
from a licensed grower. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where
approval is expected.

The bill was one of dozens approved by the House on Monday during a
marathon meeting ahead of a "crossover" deadline, after which
legislation that has not been approved by either the House or the
Senate has longer odds of being passed before the legislative session
ends in early April.

Delegates also voted in favor of expanding pre-kindergarten classes to
include more children, providing more oversight of the implementation
of new education standards and "shielding" certain criminal records
from the public record with the aim of making it easier for former
convicts to get jobs.

The Senate convened Monday evening with its own full agenda that
included bills that would boost annual tax credits given to movie and
television companies that film in the state and require restaurants to
urge patrons to alert their servers about any known food allergies the
customers have before their orders are taken.

The Senate's version

of the "House of Cards" bill - sponsored by Sen. Edward J. Kasemeyer
(D-Baltimore County) - would increase the tax credit to $18.5 million.
It passed by a vote of 45 to 1.

The food allergy bill - sponsored by Sens. Jamie B. Raskin
(D-Montgomery) and Christopher B. Shank (R-Washington) - would allow
certain counties with limited legislative powers to pass laws
requiring restaurants to urge patrons to alert servers about their
food allergies. It also would require restaurants to have someone on
staff who has completed a food allergen awareness training course. The
measure passed 33 to 14.

Last year, Maryland lawmakers legalized the medical use of marijuana
but limited distribution to a small number of approved "academic
medical centers." None of those centers - including the University of
Maryland Medical System and Johns Hopkins University - has been
willing to participate. That has frustrated some patients and their
advocates who want legal access to the drug.

Del. Cheryl D. Glenn (D-Baltimore), who sponsored the legislation that
passed out of the House on Monday, said that medical marijuana could
improve the lives of some Marylanders. Access will be "very, very
tightly restricted" to prevent recreational use of the drug, she said.

Maryland has a commission that oversees medical marijuana in the
state. It would be up to that commission to certify physicians,
license growers and issue identification cards to patients or their
caregivers. The commission would encourage growers to develop and
offer medical marijuana in a range of forms, and collect data that
could assist doctors in prescribing the medication.

The House Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, again delayed action Monday
on separate legislation that would decriminalize possession of small
amounts of marijuana in the state. The Senate passed a similar bill
last week, however, meaning the issue could still receive
consideration by the House in the remaining three weeks of the session.

In a brief interview Monday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph
F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George's), who opposes the legislation, said
it was unclear when - or whether - his committee will vote on the measure.

Under both the House and Senate versions of the decriminalization
bill, individuals caught with less than 10 grams of marijuana would be
subject to a civil fine of up to $100 rather than a criminal
conviction that could result in jail time.

Seventeen states and the District have moved to decriminalize the use
of small amounts of marijuana, according to the D.C.-based Marijuana
Policy Project, which advocates legalization.

On Monday, delegates also approved legislation sponsored by the
administration of Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) that would begin to expand
pre-K classes for more children. Maryland already offers free pre-K
classes to economically disadvantaged 4-year-olds, but state leaders
hope to eventually offer that to all 4-year-olds.

Their first step toward that goal is to provide grants to local school
systems and pre-K providers that want to accept children from families
making more money than currently allowed. The measure could help up to
1,600 children.

Delegates approved the expansion in a 103 to 33 vote. The Senate
approved similar legislation last week.

Delegates also voted 127 to 8 to establish a work group to review the
implementation of education standards called Common Core. The group
would include state education officials, representatives from teachers
unions, education experts, parents and a student representative. This
bill is one of three related to the controversial standards, which are
being implemented quickly in Maryland schools.

The House also approved legislation known as the Maryland Second
Chance Act of 2014, which is intended to make it easier for people
with minor criminal convictions to get jobs.

The bill, which passed 88 to 48, would allow a person to petition a
court to remove certain convictions from a publicly available online
database maintained by the state. In most cases, the person would have
to wait three years after a sentence was completed.

Under amendments passed in recent days, however, police and
courthouses would continue to maintain records of the "shielded"
offenses, and employers could require an applicant to provide a full
history of any criminal activity as a condition of employment.

"This is not a license to lie," Vallario, the House Judiciary
chairman, said during preliminary floor debate over the bill.

The Senate has not acted on similar legislation.

Fredrick Kunkle contributed to this report.
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MAP posted-by: Matt