[Vision2020] Tom Trail's comments on medical marijuana

Thu Mar 31 20:06:38 PDT 2011

And possibly Rush Limbaugh might, too. I think he has some good experience in that arena. 

Sue 

From: Dave 
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 4:07 PM
To: vision2020 
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Tom Trail's comments on medical marijuana

OMG I agree with Glen Beck!

RFTHTSMHO

Dave

On 03/31/2011 03:27 PM, Bill London wrote: 
  Tom Trail introduced his medical marijuana bill to House committee yesterday with comments below that summarize his legislation.

  My thanks to Tom for his support of this sensible plan.

  BL

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------       

                           HB 19 MEDICAL MARIJUANA

           (COMMENTS MADE BY REP. TRAIL TO THE HOUSE HEALTH

                AND WELFARE COMMITTEE MARCH 30/2011

  MR. CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS—I WANT TO THANK

  CHAIRMAN MCGEACHIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REP. LACEY

  AND I TO SPEAK TO YOUR COMMITTEE IN AN INFORMATIONAL

  PRESENTATION FORMAT.    BOTH OF US WILL SPEAK BRIEFLY TO

  THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION, AND THE WITHIN THE CONTEXT

  OF THE INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION FORMAT WE HAVE

  INVITED SPECIFIC IDAHO CITIZENS TO TESTIFY. ACCORDING TO

  OUR AGREEMENT THERE WILL BE NO OTHER TESTIMONY TAKEN.

  WE ARE PROPOSING HB19 AS 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, AND M.S.

  GLAUCOMA AND MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY WITH A DOCTOR’S

  RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE ACCESS TO MARIJUANA GROWN

  AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGH STATE MONITORED DISPENSARIES.

  AS STATED BY CONGRESSMAN AND PHYSICIAN RON PAUL,

  WE HOLD TO THE RIGHT OF THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

  IN MAKING THE DECISION TO USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA RATHER

  THAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.

  HB 19 INCLUDES ADEQUATE STATE REGULATION OF THE PROGRAM AND SAFEGUARDS TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPOSED MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM IS NOT ABUSED. CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL NOTES THAT IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE STATE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS LEGALIZED, AND THUS IT BECOMES A STATES RIGHTS ISSUE AS NOTED UNDER THE 10TH AMENDMENT.

  (2)

  IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT GLEN BECK SUPPORTS THE

  LEGALIZATION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA AS WELL.

  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

  CHRONIC ILLNESSES.  THE LAW WOULD ALSO FORBIDE PATIENTS

   FROM GROWING THEIR OWN MARIJUANA AND USING IT IN

  PUBLIC.  THIS ADVICE WAS PROVIDED BY SHERIFF WAYNE RAUSCH,

  FOR PRESIDENT OF THE IDAHO SHERIFF’S ASSOCIATION.   THE

  LEGISLATION WOULD ALSO REGULATE THE DRUG UNDER 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 EVERY

  28 DAYS.

  I’D LIKE TO MENTION THAT THE STATE’S THAT HAVE HAD THE

  MOST SUCCESS WITH THEIR MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAMS HAVE

  GONE THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS WHERE ALL OF THE

  STAKEHOLDERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. THE LEGALIZATION OF

  MEDICAL MARIJUANA VIA THE INITIATIVE PROCESSES HAS PRODUCED

  MANY PROBLEMS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY GOING

  THE LEGISLATIVE ROUTE.   MARYLAND IS ONE SUCH STATE. IN 2003

  A BIPARTISAN EFFORT LEAD BY ASSEMBLEMAN DON MURPHY-

  REPUBLICAN MOVE THEIR BILL TO PASSAGE.   TWO MONTHS AGO

  THE MARYLAND ASSEMBLY REAFFIRMED THE DEFENSE OF MEDICAL

  MARIJUANA ACT—85% VOTE REPUBLICANS AND 87% DEMOCRATS.

  THIS BILL WAS SIGNED BY A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR. I WAS APPROACHED SEVERAL YEARS AGO BY SEVERAL CONSTITUENTS WHO SUFFERED BRAIN CANCER, M.S. AND LOU GERHIG’S DISEASE.   THEY RECEIVED A RECOMMENDATION FROM MY WIFE’S FAMILY DOCTOR 

  (3)

  IN MOSCOW BUT THEY WENT TO WASHINGTON STATE FOR THEIR LEGAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

  WE HAVE THE CASE IN ONTARIO WHERE THERE IS A ALTERNATIVE

  DISPENSARY.  THE OPERATOR OF THE DISPENSARY REPORTS

  THAT WITHIN THE PAST SIX MONTHS MORE THAN (300) IDAHO FAMILIES HAVE MOVE TO THE ONTARIO AREA SO THAT A CRITICAL

  ILL MEMBER OF THE FAMILY CAN LEGALLY OBTAIN MEDICAL

  MARIJUANA FOR THEIR PAIN.   IF THEY COME BACK INTO IDAHO

  THEY ARE SUBJECT TO THE LAWS OF OUR STATE AND LIVE IN

  THE SHADOWS OF FEAR.

  RESEARCH CARRIED OUT IN CANADA VIA A DOUBLE BLIND

  STUDY CLEARLY INDICATES THAT MEDICAL MARIJUANA COMPARED

  TO OTHER MEDICATIONS, I. E. OXYCODON, ETC. WAS SUPERIOR

  IN REDUCING PAIN.  WE MUST REMEMBER THAT MEDICAL

  MARIJUANA WAS LEGAL IN THE U.S. UP THROUGH THE EARLY 70’S

  UNTIL DEA DECLARED IT TO BE AN ILLEGAL DRUG. THERE IS CONTROVERSY AND DISAGREEMENT AROUND THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN IDAHO AND OTHER STATES ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA.   DR. BOUGHTON, MY

  WIFE’S DOCTOR, NOTES THAT SHE HAS HAD SEVERAL PATIENTS

  WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA.   SHE NOTES THAT THERE IS THE OPTION

  OF MARICOL WHICH IS LEGAL BUT VERY EXPENSIVE AND DIFFICULT

  TO TIRATE TO EFFECT SINCE ONCE THE PATIENT TAKES IT THE EFFECT

  ISN’T FELT FOR AWHILE.   SMOKING IS MORE APPROPRIATE FOR

  PATIENTS WHO HAVE TROUBLE TAKING ORAL MEDICATIONS.  

  MARIJUANA IS PARTICUARLY EFFECTIVE FOR ALLOWING PATIENTS 

  TO REDUCE THEIR INTAKE OF OPIATE MEDICATIONS.  ALTHOUGH

  THERE MAY BE SOME HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, OPIATE

  (4)

  SIDE EFFECTS OF NAUSEA AND VOMITING AND SOMETIMES LIFE

  THREATENING CONSTIPATION IS NOT AMONG THEM.   THE OPTIATE

  LIKE OXYCODON, MORPHINE, ETC. ARE TOXIC, EXPENSIVE, AND

  TERRIBLY ADDICTIVE AND MANY TIMES MORE EXPENSE MEDICATIONS HAVE TO BE USED TO CURE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE OPIATES.

  IN MOST STATES BEFORE LEGALIZATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT

  HAS OPPOSED LEGALIZATION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA.  HOWEVER

  THE DATA FROM MANY STATES CLEARLY SHOWS FROM LAW

  ENFORCEMENT STATISTICS THAT THERE IS NO NEGATIVE IMPACT

  TO THE CRIME RATE BECAUSE OF ITS LEGALIZATION.

  A RECENT STUDY OF ALL 14 STATES WHERE IT IS LEGAL,

  INDICATES THAT WHEN CONSIDERING MIDDEL AND HIGH SCHOOL

  STUDENTS THAT MARIJUANA USE ACTUALLY WENT DOWN IN

  11 OF THE STATES, FLAT IN TWO STATES, AND IN ONE STATE WENT

  UP SLIGHTLY.

  THE IDAHO STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OPINION INDICATED

  THAT THE PROPOSED IDAHO COMPASSIONATE USE OF MEDICAL

  MARIJUANA ACT AS PRESENTED DOES NOT APPEAR TO CONTAIN

  ANY PROVISIONS THAT ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL OR OTHERWISE

  ILLEGAL.  THEREFORE, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE ACT SHOULD

  BE ENACTED INTO LAW IS A MATTER OF POLICY.

  UNDER THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION,   THE DEPARTMENT

  OF HEALTH AND WELFARE WOULD BE IN CHARGE.    A SMALL NUMBER BUT WELL LOCATED DISPENSARIES WOULD BE APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT.  ALL OPERATORS OF THE DISPENSARIES WOULD  GO THROUGH CRIMINAL CHECKS AS WELL AS ALL WORKERS

  (5)

  PATIENTS OR CARE GIVERS WOULD ALL HAVE TO GO THROUGH

  CRIMINAL CHECKS AND NO ONE WITH A DRUG RELATED CHARGE

  COULD PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.

   I TALKED WITH DIRECTOR ARMSTRONG ABOUT THE PROGRAM.

  HE INDICATED THAT IF THE LEGISLATION PASSED HE FELT THE

  DEPARTMENT COULD CARRY OUT THE MANDATE.   HE ALSO

  INDICATED THAT THERE COULD BE SOME SAVINGS IN MEDICAL

  COSTS FOR PATIENTS/MEDICAID ETC. UNDER DEPARTMENTAL

  PROGRAMS WHEN COMPARING THE COST TO HIGHER PRICED

  OPIATES.

   I’VE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET A SURVEY OF THE WAY STATES

  HANDLE THE COST OF THE PROGRAM.    THE DETAILS VARY BUT

  THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH RULE WOULD SET UP THE FEE

  SCHEDULE FOR PATIENTS WITH DOCTOR RECOMMENDATIONS

  AND ALSO THE FEE SCHEDULE FOR OPERATORS OF ALTERNATIVE

  DISPENSARIES.  THE GOAL WOULD BE COST NEUTRAL

  TO RUN THE PROGRAM AND ALSO COVER COSTS RELATED TO

  THE IDAHO STATE POLICE.

  AGAIN, I THINK AS CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL WOULD PUT

  IT—THIS IS A STATE’S RIGHT ISSUE AND AS MANY MEDICAL DOCTORS

  INDICATED MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN MANY CASES IS THE ONLY MEDICATION THAT CAN DRAMATICALLY REDUCE PAIN AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG OUR MOST CRITICALLY ILL.

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