[Vision2020] medical marijuana in Idaho?

[JLBrown]

How convenient.  He promised to do this at least two years ago and has
dragged his feet since then.

Now, with an election looming, it's time to ramp up those promises again!

Judy

 

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Bill London
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 12:29 PM
To: vision2020 at secure.fsr.com
Subject: [Vision2020] medical marijuana in Idaho?

 

REP. TOM TRAIL PROPOSES MEDICAL MARIJUANA

LEGISLATION FOR THE SEVERELY ILL

 

Rep. Trail is proposing a measure that would make Idaho the 15th state in
the nation to legalize the use of marijuana to help patients with chronic
illnesses.  The measure would allow patients diagnosed with severe illnesses
like cancer, AIDS, Lou Gehrig's disease, muscular dystrophy, glaucoma and
multiple sclerosis to have access to marijuana grown and distributed through
state-monitored dispensaries.

 

The proposed legislation would be the most restrictive medical marijuana law
in the nation because it would permit doctors to prescribe it for only a set
list of serious chronic illnesses.  The law would also forbid patients from
growing their own marijuana and using it in public, and it would regulate
the drug under the strict conditions used to track the distribution of
medically prescribed opiates like Oxycontin and morphine.  Patients would be
limited to two ounces of marijuana per month.

 

Rep. Trail was approached over a year ago by several constituents who
suffered from chronic health conditions - brain cancer, glaucoma and other
severe health conditions.  They receive prescriptions from their doctors and
have them filled in Washington State.  One constituent, who has multiple
sclerosis, said his doctors have recommended marijuana to treat neuralgia,
which causes him to lose the feeling and use of his right arm and shoulders.
The M.S. Society has shown that this drug will help slow the progression of
the disease.  Rep. Trail has talked to many doctors who support this type of
legislation.

 

The legislation is modeled after legislation recently passed in New Jersey
and reported to be by far the most restrictive law of any of the 14 states
that have legalized medical marijuana.  One of the criticisms has been that
laws in many states contained loopholes that might encourage recreational
drug use.  This happened in California.  The California loophole contained a
list of ailments so unrestrictive that it might have allowed patients to
seek marijuana to treat minor or nonexistent ailments.  This loophole is
closed in Rep. Trail's proposal.

 

Rep. Trail notes that there was opposition from law enforcement and other
groups with an earlier draft, and he decided that when New Jersey passed
their bill and it was signed by a Republican governor, this approach offered
the best avenue for success.  The legislation has just been drafted, and
Rep. Trail notes that it is too late in the session for any possibility of
moving the measure forward.  He reports that the draft must be reviewed by
the Department of Health and Welfare, law enforcement, the Idaho Medical
Association and many other stakeholders.  The plan is to start a dialog with
all the stakeholders and prepare to introduce the legislation in the 2011
legislative session.  Rep. Trail plans on holding a series of town meetings
this summer on the legislation.  Rep. Trail can be contacted at
ttrail at moscow.com.

 

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