State Rep. Kelly Alexander is nothing if not persistent.The Charlotte Democrat is sponsoring yet another bill to legalize the medical use of marijuana. His bill, HB 1161, would amend the state constitution by adding a new section called the "Medical Cannabis Protection Act."
Alexander has sponsored medical marijuana bills before.
"I can see attitudes changing," he said this week in his legislative office.
Pot is legal for recreational use in Colorado and Washington state. And a total of 22 states, plus the District of Columbia, have medical marijuana and cannabis programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
To Alexander, pot, at least for medical use, is no longer a Cheech and Chong fantasy, even in North Carolina.
A Republican, Rep. Pat McElraft of Emerald Isle, is co-sponsoring a bill along with Charlotte Democrat Becky Carney and others that would allow the use of hemp oil, derived from the cannabis plant, for treatment of certain disorders.
Not many people give Alexander's bill a chance. At least not yet.
"The trend is going in my direction," Alexander says. "I talk to conservatives. I talk to liberals. I talk to old folks. To people of all political persuasions united in their belief that the law needs to change, and where we are now just doesn't make any sense."
14 comments:
Just a matter of time for NC. We need the taxes gained from this business and we should redistribute the income into the schools for the teachers. That way, the Legislature does not have to pull funds from other sources. This is a viable solution for the teacher funding issue.
Imagine all the folks who want to toke.
Why the many visits to the doctors who give out medical approval would give the economy a boost.
Let's not worry about how detrimental drugs like this are, just how much it will give us, like that lottery thing has made schools so much better.
South Carolina just passed, and the governor just signed, a bill allowing the use of hemp oil.
The bill was introduced by Tea Party Republican Tom Davis (which probably explains why The Observer and Jim Morrill fail to mention it).
Tell me again why the legitimate medicinal properties of marijuana can't be produced in pill form and regulated by a prescription/pharmacy. It ain't about "medical" use. That dog won't hunt.
.
KELLY IS A GREAT GUY BUT…
…I still remember the details of the bill he and Nick Mackey introduced years ago. That bill’s idea of a legitimate amount of medical MaryJ was 6 pounds per year/per person or enough to make 1 smoke every hour 20 hours a day for the full year.
In Colorado there are two price scales: recreational and medical. One medical ounce bought at a green cross store in Denver is between $190 and $240: $19,000 a year for the example above. This is not a cost effective form of treatment.
Just a further note, recreational pot is $300-$400/oz due to additional taxes.
NO WELFARE CADILLACS!
Kelly is a very persistent man. This is just one example. But before he can get people like me to half-way accept it, he’s going to have to propose stiff penalties for distribution infractions. Stiff penalties to cope with minors having access. Ungodly strict police enforcement. And last, because the expense is so high, he’ll have to assure me that the cost will never, never be covered by my taxes. No welfare Cadillacs delivered in Zig-Zag paper!
Bolyn McClung
Pineville
.
"High on hope"?
What clever wordplay. Hey, you ought to write for a newspaper or something. Or maybe apply to the Comedy Channel.
I love it.
'Tell me again why the legitimate medicinal properties of marijuana can't be produced in pill form and regulated by a prescription/pharmacy.'
It can be, and already is - called Marinol. The price is much higher than marijuana, created in a lab, and is causing pharmaceutical companies to make millions. Still think it s a good idea?
Marinol has shown to be FAR less effective than actual cannabis. Many people believe (and was highlighted by Dr. Oz on his special about cannabis) that it is not just one cannabanoid within the plant that is medicinally effective, but rather many components of the plant that work together to bring about the benefits. Nature cannot always be recreated in a lab.
Cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years. It first appeared in the US Pharmacopeia in the late 19th century. It would remain there until an overzealous bureaucrat named Harry Anslinger pressured the AMA to remove it. Cannabis has always had medicinal properties. Politics is the only thing in the way of that now.
Oh man....let's hope they legalize medicinal marijuana soon....because....you know....it's sooooooooooo hard to get marijuana nowadays.
"Many people believe (and was highlighted by Dr. Oz on his special about cannabis)..."
In this post I meant to say Dr. Sanjay Gupta, not Dr. Oz. My apologies for the error.
Marijuana is far less deadly than alcohol and cigarettes. Though a wise person would refrain, locking up people in jail at 40k per year makes no sense. The illegality of it has little impact on its eventual use. Legalize it, let the fools use it, empty the jails.
these stupid idiots are blowing it for medical use only
the potheads always come out of the woodwork at any chance
jim
nobody goes to jail anymore for just smoking pot moron
empty the jails?
better buy an uzi or ak47 or ar14
Post a Comment