Pubdate: Wed, 23 Apr 2014
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN)
Copyright: 2014 Star Tribune
Contact: http://www.startribunecompany.com/143
Website: http://www.startribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/266
Author: Baird Helgeson
Page: B5

ADVOCATES OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONTINUE PUSH AT NEWS CONFERENCE

Doctors Share Support, Though None Were Present.

Parents of ailing children, doctors and clergy are intensifying their
push to persuade legislators and Gov. Mark Dayton to legalize medical
marijuana this year.

"Our leaders here in Minnesota have the opportunity to heal the sick
and bind up the injured," said the Rev. Catherine Schuyler, of Duluth.
"They have the opportunity to make good medicine available to those
who are in pain."

Minnesotans for Compassionate Care, the group leading their effort,
held a news conference at the Capitol on Tuesday to announce that 100
doctors and religious leaders from around the state support the
measure, although no doctors attended the event.

The proposal would allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to
patients with a certain ailments, including children with seizure disorders.

Federal regulators do not consider marijuana to have a medical
benefit, so doctors are barred from prescribing it.

Dayton has resisted legalization, citing the strong objections of law
enforcement and health officials, who say that legal access would make
marijuana more readily available to underage and recreational users.

The governor has tried to seek a compromise, offering to have the
state pay for a Mayo Clinic study that would allow at least 200
children with seizures to be part of trials, to determine whether
marijuana has proved medical benefits.

The study could provide new and potentially groundbreaking medical
research in what has become a very political issue in Minnesota and
around the country.

Medical marijuana advocates have rejected the study proposal, saying
there is no guarantee that Mayo Clinic could legally obtain marijuana
for the trial. Instead, advocates are resuming their push for
legalization, saying public opinion and existing medical research is
on their side.

"Studies have shown that medical marijuana is a safe and effective
treatment for people suffering from nausea, appetite loss and pain
that are often caused by HIV/AIDS or the medical used to treat it,"
said Bill Tiedemann, executive director of the Minnesota AIDS project.

No medical professionals attended the news conference, but the
Minnesota Nurses Association released a statement of support.

"We believe this legislation will result in positive health outcomes
for the sickest patients in Minnesota," the group said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt