Pubdate: Sun, 03 Sep 2017
Source: Tennessean, The (Nashville, TN)
Copyright: 2017 The Tennessean
Contact: http://www.tennessean.com/SITES/OPINION/submit-editor.shtml
Website: http://www.tennessean.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/447
Author: Joel Ebert

SENATOR EXPECTS PANEL WILL HELP EDUCATE PUBLIC, TENNESSEE LAWMAKERS ON 
MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Educating lawmakers and the general public will be a key component of
the recently formed legislative committee tasked with tackling medical
marijuana, according to one of the legislators heading up the panel.

"I think one of the goals is to make sure that the people and the
advocates and the patients are aware of what we're doing and make sure
that they give feedback to their elected officials," said Sen. Steve
Dickerson, R-Nashville, who along with Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby,
are heading up a legislative committee to study the issue.

The committee, which was formed last week by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally
and House Speaker Beth Harwell, will study whether the legalization of
medical cannabis is in the best interest of the state.

Dickerson said as the committee holds meetings throughout the three
grand divisions of the state, the discussions will likely focus on
different aspects of medical marijuana, including talks about law
enforcement and taxation.

"The goal is not to have the same meeting (in the different areas of
the state)," he said.

The senator said although he and Faison are still working on
scheduling logistics, the first meeting could take place as early as
September, with gatherings tentatively held each subsequent month.

Dickerson said he hopes the meetings will hear from those for and
against medical marijuana all in an effort to work toward a bill that
could advance further in the legislature during the upcoming session.

Calling the first medical marijuana bill he introduced several years
ago "substandard," Dickerson said each subsequent piece of legislation
has gotten better.

During the 2017 session, Dickerson and Faison introduced yet another
medical marijuana bill.

"This year, I wouldn't say that it's necessarily going to be different
in its thrust or its overall scope, but some of it will have
refinements," he said.

Among the many hurdles Dickerson and Faison's legislation will have to
overcome is opposition from older Tennesseans, said David Hairston,
president of Safe Access Tennessee, a chapter of Americans for Safe
Access, a Washington, D.C.-based organization.

"People over 65 were just so inculcated with the 'Reefer Madness' kind
of thought. They often find it shocking to find out the gateway theory
is a complete lie," he said, referring to the idea that marijuana use
can lead to other harder drugs.

Earlier this year, Safe Access Now successfully pressured the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration to remove marijuana from its list of
"gateway drugs" on the agency's website.

Given the tendency of those 65 and older to vote more often than
younger people, Hairston said that could lead to some hesitancy among
lawmakers to support medical marijuana.

Another aspect that is frequently brought up during discussions on
medical marijuana is concern that legalizing it in Tennessee would
move the state closer to recreational usage.

"My firm belief is that those are two very different conversations,"
Dickerson said, calling the notion of getting the legislature to even
consider recreational use inconceivable.

Despite Dickerson's assertion, Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, thinks
medicinal marijuana would eventually lead the state toward legalizing
recreational marijuana.

"That's all it is," he said. "Any time that we have a legalized
process where we have raw marijuana and it's in a form that it can be
utilized to be smoked, that is, in my opinion, only a step toward full
legalization."

Holt pointed out that Tennesseans can legally obtain certain oils and
pills that have similar curative powers that do not require smoking or
eating marijuana.

"We have access to medical marijuana. When folks try to make me out as
this person who is opposed to any utilization of a medicinal product
that's incorrect," he said.

"What I'm opposed to is any process that will allow raw hash to be
sold or grown or processed or in any way distributed in the state of
Tennessee knowing that a large percentage of that is going to fall
into the hands of individuals who are not consuming it for a medical
purpose."

Although acknowledging that there's an uphill battle ahead, Hairston
is confident the state legislature could see serious advancement on
the issue during the 2018 legislative session.

Hairston believes Tennessee will become the 30th state to allow
medical marijuana. "No doubt about it in my mind," he said, citing
polls, including one released by Vanderbilt University in May.

The poll found 47 percent of those surveyed support medical marijuana,
up from 42 percent in November.

In January, a poll from Tennesseans for Conservative Action found 52
percent of those surveyed supported medical marijuana while 31 percent
opposed it.

Despite such polling, Holt remains skeptical that the newly formed
committee will lead to any major shift in the legislature.

"We're not breaking into new ground here," he said. "This is nothing
but a political ploy."
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MAP posted-by: Matt