Pubdate: Wed, 05 Aug 2015 Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser (HI) Copyright: 2015 Star Advertiser Contact: http://www.staradvertiser.com/info/Star-Advertiser_Letter_to_the_Editor.html Website: http://www.staradvertiser.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5154 Author: Matthew Fleming, CQ-Roll Call LACK OF GOP BACKING STALLS MEDICAL POT BILL WASHINGTON - Even though Senate support for a medical marijuana bill is building, it's not likely to get a vote soon. Two influential Democratic senators, Charles E. Schumer of New York and Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland, announced their support for a bill that would reschedule marijuana and let states set medical marijuana policy. But it needs more Republicans. There are only a few more workdays until the August recess, so any consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee would be deferred until at least September. But when pressed on whether the bill was a priority, chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, said, "I'm going to wait until I talk to other Republican members." THE BILL has two Republican co-sponsors, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, an original co-sponsor, and Dean Heller of Nevada. Getting a third has been difficult. "It's a slow process and we're trying," Paul said last week, adding that there's "several" other Republicans they're talking to, but none are officially on board yet. The bill is supported by 16 senators, including Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., the original sponsor, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., an original co-sponsor. The remaining co-sponsors are Hawaii Democrats Brian Schatz and Mazie K. Hirono; Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Tom Udall, D-N.M.; Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.; and Angus King, I-Maine. The slow growth of support does not reflect national trends. A majority of states (including the District of Columbia and Guam) allow medical marijuana or its derivatives, while a few have approved recreational use. And national polling shows overwhelming support for medical marijuana. SOME SENATORS have applauded recent decisions by the Obama administration to slightly deregulate medical marijuana research, with calls for more research. But even some of the supporters have not signed on as co-sponsors, including Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Warren is a co-sponsor of another bill, sponsored by Merkley, that would allow legitimate marijuana businesses to use banks. But just like the medical marijuana bill, the banking bill is stuck in committee. Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Richard C. Shelby, R-Ala., said last week he did not expect this bill to be a post-recess priority for the committee. However, a version of the bill did advance as a rider to an appropriations bill last month, much to Merkley's delight. "We had a 16-14 vote in appropriations in favor of blocking any federal funds being used to enforce the federal rules, thereby giving banks the ability to provide checking accounts and services to marijuana businesses that are legal under their own state laws," Merkley said. Shelby, also an appropriator, was one of the 14 "no" votes. The Appropriations Committee is proving to be the most progressive on the issue, approving in the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs funding bill an amendment allowing access to medical marijuana for veterans - although the same amendment died on the House floor. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom