Pubdate: Sun, 22 Mar 2015
Source: Orange County Register, The (CA)
Copyright: 2015 The Orange County Register
Contact:  http://www.ocregister.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321

RESPECT STATE LAWS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

States across the land have legalized marijuana for medical  and, in 
some cases, recreational  use, but conflicts with strict federal 
anti-drug laws have left patients, other users, doctors, marijuana 
businesses and the banks and landlords with commercial relationships 
to those businesses vulnerable to federal raids and prosecution. A 
new bill introduced by Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Rand Paul, R-Ky., 
and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., would solve this problem by simply 
respecting states' rights.

Medical marijuana has been legalized in 23 states and the District of 
Columbia, but that has not stopped federal agencies from aggressively 
- - and inconsistently - enforcing a stringent federal ban on the drug, 
placing many individuals and businesses in legal limbo. Under S. 683, 
the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act, 
the federal government would be prevented from going after marijuana 
users, physicians and businesses in states that have legalized 
marijuana for medical purposes.

It would also reclassify marijuana from a "Schedule I" drug, defined 
as one "with no currently accepted medical use," to a Schedule II 
drug. In addition, the bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act 
to allow states to import certain strains of cannabidiol, or CBD, 
used to treat epilepsy and seizure disorders; provide a safe harbor 
for banks, credit unions and their officers and employees who deal 
with medical marijuana businesses; allow federal VA facilities to 
treat veterans with medical marijuana in states where it is legal; 
and make it easier for researchers to study marijuana.

"Individuals who use medical marijuana in states where it is legal 
should not fear prosecution simply based on prosecutorial 
discretion," Sen. Booker said in a statement to Congress upon 
introducing the bill.

He also decried the fact that the federal government treats marijuana 
as more dangerous than Schedule II drugs such as cocaine and 
methamphetamine, despite a wealth of evidence to the contrary. "The 
view that marijuana has no medical use whatsoever, but ... 
methamphetamine has some medicinal use is troubling and contrary to 
science," he asserted.

"For far too long, the government has enforced unnecessary laws that 
have restricted the ability of the medical community to determine the 
medicinal value of marijuana and have prohibited Americans from 
receiving essential care that would alleviate their chronic pain and 
suffering," Sen. Paul said in a press release.

Even if one believes that the government has the right to dictate 
what someone can put into his or her body, it is difficult to justify 
laws that deny access to a drug with documented medical benefits for 
children suffering from cancer, people with debilitating epilepsy and 
seizure disorders or veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress or 
pain from war injuries. A rollback of federal marijuana laws is long overdue.
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