House Finance Committee Passes Medical Marijuana Bill, 17-6
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA -- The House version of Minnesota's medical marijuana bill, H.F. 292, cleared another key hurdle in the House of Representatives today, passing the Finance Committee in a vote of 17 to 6. The vote followed in the wake of passage of companion legislation by the full Senate last week.
Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia), sponsor of the bill, hailed the vote, saying, "We're seeing remarkable momentum for medical marijuana legislation this year, in the House as well as the Senate. Scientifically, there's just no doubt that medical marijuana can relieve suffering for some patients who are terribly ill, and the experience of 13 medical marijuana states shows that we can protect those patients without any of the problems that the doomsayers keep warning about."
Thirteen states, comprising approximately one-quarter of the U.S. population, now permit medical use of marijuana under state law if a physician has recommended it. The newest such law was enacted by Michigan voters last November, passing with a record-setting 63 percent "yes" vote.
Medical marijuana bills are now moving forward in a number of states, including Illinois, New Jersey and New Hampshire, where medical marijuana legislation has passed both legislative houses and is awaiting a conference committee to reconcile differences.
Medical organizations which have recognized marijuana's medical uses include the American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine, and American College of Physicians, which noted "marijuana's proven efficacy at treating certain symptoms and its relatively low toxicity," in a statement issued last year. |
