Delaware history is made: bipartisan medical marijuana bill introduced

For the first time in history, a modern medical marijuana bill was introduced in the Delaware Senate by Senator Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilmington). S.B. 94, which is based on MPP's model bill, will remove criminal sanctions for the medical use of marijuana by seriously ill patients, and will provide a system of safe access through state-licensed compassion centers. In the first step towards creating lasting legal protections, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee will hold a hearing next Wednesday, June 3, in the Senate Hearing Room, on the 2nd floor of the Legislative Hall in Dover, at 2:00 p.m. Sen. Henry is the chair of the committee, and two other committee members have co-sponsored the bill, along with another senator and two representatives.

Our work has just begun: we need your help to educate legislators. If you are a patient, a loved one, a medical professional, or a member of law enforcement or the clergy who might be interested in speaking out, please contact me at state@mpp.org to see how you can be of special help in passing this legislation. Please include your nine-digit ZIP code or your address so we can identify your legislators, and please share your connection with medical marijuana.

Yesterday, Sen. Henry held a very successful press conference on the bill's introduction which generated great coverage. Sen. Henry stated "Modern science shows us that marijuana can have beneficial effects for people suffering from a number of conditions including cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, and HIV-AIDS." Joe Scarborough, an AIDS and cancer survivor, explained "Smoking marijuana has helped with the pain and nausea associated with the drugs I take for AIDS as well as chemotherapy, and it has helped with pain caused by my nerve damage." And Dr. John Goodill, chief of pain and palliative medicine at Christiana Care, spoke out in favor of the bill as well, because it's based on a proven model that has produced good results for patients.

To keep Delaware's bill moving, legislators need to know that their constituents care about this issue. So please take a few moments to use our automated system to write your legislators, and let us know if they are willing to co-sponsor and vote for S.B. 94.

Together, we can make Delaware the 14th state to allow the doctor-advised medical use of marijuana. Thank you for your support. Please pass this on to any patients you know who might be interested in getting involved.