Minnesota Senate approves use of medical marijuana

The Minnesota Senate voted 36-28 on Wednesday to approve the use of medical marijuana in the state, clearing the way for final passage of the bill and setting up a potential showdown with Gov.

[kid from the streets]

i dont see the big deal with leagleizeing the drug for medical reasons and anyone in their right minds who beleive the "wild west threoy" should be smacked hard and told to look out side their windows. this should not even be an issue poeple METH, COKAINE, AND ROOFIES is what you should be scard of!!!!!! you wanna fix this backwards country compleatly leaglize the plant and life in prision for just haveing meth in you system and thats how you fix yhe "drug problem"

[Tired]

It's about time this came about. Now some people can get relief without fearing going to jail.

[St Paul Mom]

It is about time! Why should people suffer needlessly when marijuana can help with pain? No one has ever died from marijuana, and it can help so many people in many different ways. Tim Pawlenty you need to read up on the facts of marijuana and support the people of your state.

[there last 2 nights]

i think i am developing cough. where do i fill my perscription?

[vvv]

You are from the street? No way, get out!

kid from the streets wrote:

i dont see the big deal with leagleizeing the drug for medical reasons and anyone in their right minds who beleive the "wild west threoy" should be smacked hard and told to look out side their windows. this should not even be an issue poeple METH, COKAINE, AND ROOFIES is what you should be scard of!!!!!! you wanna fix this backwards country compleatly leaglize the plant and life in prision for just haveing meth in you system and thats how you fix yhe "drug!problem"

[Adam]

I know a cancer patient that has been fighting it for several years. At first she had long bouts of nausea after therapy. Then her doctor starting dropping hints to her husband about using pot to counteract this. He didn't get the hint and finally the doctor came out and said it in plain English. She had been a "user" for over 5 years now and has appeared on Capitol Hill with her doctor to lobby for making it legal at the Federal level.

[tww]

This is great! Minnesot has a failing economy, record deficits and record unemployment and the DFL has time for this? Who elected these dope smoking hippies?

[Mrs R]

What another touching story! The news isn't all bad. What a hypocritical thing to do - reading stories from drug abusers. The irony! The only reason we have drug abusers in this state is because the Republicans fail to fund social service programs! They are the ones who cause drug addiction in the first place and they have the gall to say it's not their fault. They are messed up.

[crohnsguy]

As someone who would benefit from this legislation, it really hurts to hear people dismiss this and call patients "dopers." I lost 40 pounds due to my condition. Through a combination of pharmaceuticals and marijuana, I have gained it all back and am currently healthy and strong. I've been able to resume working full time and am able to participate in my hobbies again. I've also lost family members to cancer and wish they could have had this as an option.

This bill has been debated for years now. It's never the "wrong time" to help people trying to cope with debilitating disease or who are terminal. Allow doctors and patients to determine the best course of action for disease management. Please contact Governor Pawlenty and urge him to at least not veto this compassionate legislation. You might not need it now, or your loved ones, but faced with the decision to ease their pain and suffering, you might just have a change of heart.
[e-mail]

Lastly, I just wanted to address public safety issues. Driving under the influence of medical marijuana would be illegal, just like for anyone else. There would be no usage allowed in public (schools, workplaces, etc.) It's usage around minors is also expressly prohibited in the legislation. Penalties for abuse of this program carry felony charges, whereas possession has been a mere misdemeanor since 1976 in Minnesota. It's already a low law enforcement priority, so why is law enforcement so opposed to allowing doctors to treat their patients. It makes no sense.
Please read the legislation if you haven't already.(SF97 and HF292.) In response to law enforcement's objections, a two year sunset provision has been added to the bill. If problems arise, the law can then be repealed or amended. Considering 13 states have already passed medical marijuana legislation, and ten other states have legislation pending, this is here to stay and Minnesota may as well allow patients and doctors the right to treatment. No state has repealed their law, and states have, in fact, sought to expand these programs, not eliminate them.

Let science and compassion guide public policy, not police coffers. Thank you.

[RiceStreeter]

Other states have legalized the use of Marijuana for medicinal purposes. Why not Minnesota?
What's is so wrong with using a natural remedy instead of narcotics and other expensive addictive drugs?

[Troll Bob]

Not me, I've been voting against my Senator for years but he keeps on getting elected. Must be a bunch of pot smokers out there!

Guess that's why over 10,000 Mexicans have been killed in the past 3 years, 4 times the number of US troops killed in combat in Iraq.

==========

tww wrote:

This is great! Minnesot has a failing economy, record deficits and record unemployment and the DFL has time for this? Who elected these dope smoking hippies?

[Troll Bob]

What you say is true. However MJ has been legal in California for 10 years and the California Law Enforcement association is opposed to the law because of PROBLEMS.

The cancer association and lung association are also opposed to legalization of MJ.

The Senate law allows non terminal patients to also use MJ.

MJ IS a gateway drug and if there is value to its use then let it be produced as any current legal drug with quality/quantity and doctors Rx.

If you just love MJ as a recreation drug then move to a state or country where it's legal.

There are Pot Heads in the Senate who support MJ use, NOT my idea of a needed product.

==========

crohnsguy wrote:

As someone who would benefit from this legislation, it really hurts to hear people dismiss this and call patients "dopers." I lost 40 pounds due to my condition. Through a combination of pharmaceuticals and marijuana, I have gained it all back and am currently healthy and strong. I've been able to resume working full time and am able to participate in my hobbies again. I've also lost family members to cancer and wish they could have had this as an option.
This bill has been debated for years now. It's never the "wrong time" to help people trying to cope with debilitating disease or who are terminal. Allow doctors and patients to determine the best course of action for disease management. Please contact Governor Pawlenty and urge him to at least not veto this compassionate legislation. You might not need it now, or your loved ones, but faced with the decision to ease their pain and suffering, you might just have a change of heart.
[e-mail]
Lastly, I just wanted to address public safety issues. Driving under the influence of medical marijuana would be illegal, just like for anyone else. There would be no usage allowed in public (schools, workplaces, etc.) It's usage around minors is also expressly prohibited in the legislation. Penalties for abuse of this program carry felony charges, whereas possession has been a mere misdemeanor since 1976 in Minnesota. It's already a low law enforcement priority, so why is law enforcement so opposed to allowing doctors to treat their patients. It makes no sense.
Please read the legislation if you haven't already.(SF97 and HF292.) In response to law enforcement's objections, a two year sunset provision has been added to the bill. If problems arise, the law can then be repealed or amended. Considering 13 states have already passed medical marijuana legislation, and ten other states have legislation pending, this is here to stay and Minnesota may as well allow patients and doctors the right to treatment. No state has repealed their law, and states have, in fact, sought to expand these programs, not eliminate them.
Let science and compassion guide public policy, not police coffers. Thank you.

[Just Wondering]

Just Wondering if Senator/Hennepin County Sheriff Employee Ortman had enough time to read the bill. Given that she has two jobs, which required her in the past to be in two places at once, it seems she is very busy. However she should take the time to read the legislation she is voting on, understand it and then ask questions and try to fix it. Her reading letters showed that she either didn't have the time to understand the legislation or didn't care enough to learn. Senator/Hennepin County Sheriff employee Ortman you need to pick one job.

[Cheech and Chong]

We are moving to Minnesota, man!

[Puck]

Opening this up to folks with terminal illnesses, for legal use, would have no impact on a persons ability to purchase marijuana for recreational purposes, illegally. I'm sorry but for those purchasing now, it could not be any easier to buy than it already is.

[SCSU student]

Alriight, its good to see even the smallest support from the REPUBLICAN PARTY OF NO.

[WILLIE]

PLENTY!YOU TAX CIGS! YOU CALL FOR MONEY TO HELP YOU RUN! POLICE GOT YOU ELECTED ? I THINK NOT IT WAS THE PEOPLE! DO YOU LISTEN AND TO WHO ! A TOAST TOO YOUR PRESIDENT RUN "MAY YOU HAVE 4 FLAT TIRES ON THE WAY TOO THE WHITE HOUSE" THE COPS WILL STOP AND HELP!

[Mike]

the sticking point here in talking to my legislator is not the medical marijuana, but the amount a person gets. Which is plenty for them, and perhaps some left to pass around. Atleast that's the fear. They don't want this to turn into California, where if you have a stiff neck, some doctor will prescribe medical marijuana.

[THE Radest Rethuglican]

Mike wrote:

the sticking point here in talking to my legislator is not the medical marijuana, but the amount a person gets. Which is plenty for them, and perhaps some left to pass around. Atleast that's the fear. They don't want this to turn into California, where if you have a stiff neck, some doctor will prescribe medical marijuana.

I hear they prescribe it for a red neck too!

[kecker]

Mrs R wrote:

What another touching story! The news isn't all bad. What a hypocritical thing to do - reading stories from drug abusers. The irony! The only reason we have drug abusers in this state is because the Republicans fail to fund social service programs! They are the ones who cause drug addiction in the first place and they have the gall to say it's not their fault. They are messed up.

There is our Mrs R....

I dunno, what do you think folks?? Personally I think that was one of the lamer posts from Mrs R. Usually they're a lot more wild or out of the ballpark.

Pretty tame by her standards, not much different than some comments we'll probably all see latter in this thread.

I give this one a 4.6