Didn't know that Va. has one of the oldest laws in the nation recognizing Marijuana as a medicine.......this is common sense right here folks..from the Times-News:
Va. lawmaker proposes medical marijuana bill
By Associated Press
Published January 21st, 2010
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Del. Harvey B. Morgan acknowledges he might not seem a likely proponent of decriminalizing marijuana and making the drug available medically. He's 79, a Republican and he's never touched the stuff.
Surprising even his friends, Morgan has proposed bills that would ease penalties for marijuana possession and allow doctors to prescribe marijuana and pharmacists to dispense it for a wide range of medical uses.
Morgan, whose 31 years in the General Assembly ranks him No. 2 in seniority, outlined his legislation Wednesday at a news conference. He came prepared with a raft of charts, studies, legalization proponents and medical professionals, and a good dose of realism on its prospects of passage.
"I'm hopeful but not optimistic," Morgan, of Gloucester, said after the news conference.
Fourteen states have what advocates call effective medical marijuana laws. Virginia has one of the oldest on the books - it dates back three decades - but it was enacted primarily for limited research purposes.
"Virginia is one of 17 states with laws that recognize marijuana as a medicine, but whose impact is strictly symbolic," said Bruce Mirken, formerly of the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project and now an independent consultant.
Because of laws restricting marijuana possession and distribution, "there is no supply of medical marijuana for physicians to prescribe or pharmacies to dispense," Mirken said.
Under Morgan's two bills, the possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana would be reduced from a criminal offense to a civil one, carrying a $500 fine. People now face jail sentences and fines for possessing less than 1 ounce of the drug. In 2007, 18,000 people were prosecuted in Virginia for possessing 1 once of marijuana.
Twenty-one states have decriminalized marijuana.
The attorney general's office declined to weigh in on the legislation until it could study the bills.
Morgan said he felt compelled to promote the decriminalization bill because of the many lives damaged by possession of small amounts of marijuana. He called his legislation a common sense approach and one that would ease overburdened courts and jails.
"The commonwealth continues to punish people for mistakes made decades ago," Morgan said at the news conference. "We need to move to a more honest, reasoned, compassionate, and sensible drug policy, and this bill does that."
The bill also eases penalties for marijuana distribution.
On medical marijuana, Morgan drew upon his experience as a pharmacist, stating that all medications have benefits and risks. His bill would broaden the current statute, which allows for marijuana's use in the treatment of cancer or glaucoma, to include chronic pain, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.
"We trust physicians with our health care," he said. "Why not trust them to determine appropriate therapy?"
Morgan is realistic, however, and acknowledged the legislation has not been run by the medical establishment or law enforcement groups. The bills do not have a co-sponsor.
Still, Morgan persuaded an old college classmate and skeptic, who attended Wednesday's news conference.
"I was surprised when I learned of this bill," Dr. Gaylord W. Ray said. "It seemed out of character."
Like Morgan, however, Ray was persuaded by the suffering of patients and the human costs of strict drug laws.
"It is a sad thing to see someone at the end of their life who is struggling with cancer and taking chemotherapy and they can't get relief from nausea," he said.
After more than three decades in the legislature, Morgan said he's more concerned about what's right than with winning another term in office.
"If people choose not to elect me because of this, that's up to them," he said. "But I'm doing the right thing, based on all the information I have."
...And if you ain't down with that, I got 2 words for ya....
This is great, I hope he gets some support from other politicians here, no matter who...just all the support he needs. I'm hopeful like he is, this would be huge here and help the state out a lot. Also would get a lot of people off pills, since they could go to MJ.
The things that tripped me out was 1-VA has a law recognizing Marijuana as medicine..and it is one of the nation's oldest. This being the case, how do they justify saying it has no medicinal purposes or value? AND 2-The Represenative who is sponsoring this legislation is an 79 year old Republican. Goes to show ya, there's common sense on both sides of the asile, and the parties could work together and accomplish great things if it weren't for each party having a "platform".... I hope the guy gets this through.
...And if you ain't down with that, I got 2 words for ya....
wow, I have a new favorite politician.
it goes to show ya that all of em in DC arent as out of touch as I thought
if this gets thru, in one of the most notoriously hardcore states on drugs, its a huge win for Medical MJ supporters everywhere
DC? Speaking of being out of touch...Originally Posted by Biggin
[IMG]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/blpjr77/culpeper1.jpg[/IMG]
Biggin isn't out of touch. He just can't read.
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the Virginia House of Delegates is in Richmond, yeah I know.
but for a 79 year old Republican to make this move, whether he is located in Richmond or DC, it shows that NOT ALL POLITICIANS are out of touch. Which is exactly what I said, that not all politicians are as out of touch as I thought, and where do most politicians work from??
To me, out of touch is being an ignorant bigot stuck in the 1950's, but maybe that's just me.
or people that still celebrate lee-jackson day......
im not taking shots at one person in particular, but my definition of out of touch is a racist bigot.
thats not towards anybody on particular
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