Senate Approves Medical Marijuana
19-15 Vote Sends Bill To Aid Chronically Ill People To The House
June 4, 2005
By BILL LEUKHARDT, Courant Staff Writer
A bill legalizing marijuana as a treatment for chronically ill
people
was passed 19-15 early this morning by the state Senate after a 90-minute
debate.
"We do not have the knowledge to make this decision," said Sen.
George Gunther, R-Stratford, who stressed that physicians are divided on
the medical benefits of marijuana. "I think we should table it, go home
and
go to bed."
But sup****ters prevailed. The bill must be approved by the House and
signed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell to become law. She has not said whether she
will sign it. A similar bill was passed last year by the House, but it
died in the Senate.
Under the bill, patients would need a doctor's certificate verifying
that use of marijuana would ease a debilitating condition. Once patients
received that certificate, they would have to register with the state
Department of Consumer Protection before they could grow or use medical
marijuana.
Licensed people could grow four plants in a secure indoor setting
and
keep 1 ounce of marijuana for personal, medical use. They could not use
marijuana near anyone under age 18. "This proposal would relieve a
patient
and a caregiver from fear of federal prosecution for medical marijuana,"
Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, said.
The bill would not decriminalize marijuana, he said. He and other
sup****ters said some people suffering from cancer, glaucoma, AIDS,
Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis already use marijuana to
relieve
chronic pain, nausea and other conditions.
Some of these patients testified this spring about the fear they
have
of prosecution for growing and using marijuana - a drug the state ruled 25
years ago that doctors could prescribe to patients.
"But not one script has been written since then because of the fear
of prosecution," McDonald said. "This proposal would remove that threat.
There are 11 other states that already have similar laws."
During the debate, some senators said the bill raises risks and
questions. What about the elderly poor, living in a senior housing
complex, Sen. Thomas Colapietro, D-Plymouth, said. "Where are they going
to grow four plants? In their bathrooms?" he asked.
Sen. Catherine Cook, R-Mystic, said various medical studies conclude
that smoked marijuana is a crude medical delivery system at best and that
inhaled marijuana does not have a valid role in treating chronic diseases.
"We're talking about approving the inhaling of a legal substance at
the same time we're telling our children `don't smoke,'" said Sen. Judith
Freedman, R-West****t. She called the bill a guise to allow people access
to
an illegal drug.
But Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, who had opposed legalized medical
marijuana for the first 11 of his 13 years in the legislature, said he now
sup****ts it.
What changed his stance were the many calls he got the past two
years
from people who told him of the relief marijuana gave to the sick and the
fear they have about breaking the law.
"For a small percentage of people, medical marijuana can be the
difference between life and death," Kissel said. "When a person is staring
into the abyss, when all the chips are on the table, at that point we need
to allow them this other option."
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