Medical
marijuana re-introduced in Boise
The 2012 legislative session has commenced in Boise, and once again Representative
Tom Trail (R – Moscow) has introduced legislation
that would protect Idahoans with serious and debilitating medical conditions
from arrest and prosecution for using medical marijuana under their physicians’
recommendations. The Idaho Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, or HB 370, will
next be assigned to committee where it will await a hearing. Please contact your legislators today and ask them to support HB 370!
This is the second session in a row that medical marijuana has been up for
debate in Boise. Last year, the bill was given an informational hearing in the House Committee on Health and Welfare, where both Rep. Trail and current patients outlined the need for a
working medical marijuana program in Idaho. Washington, Oregon, Nevada,
Montana, and Canada (all of which share a border with Idaho) allow their
citizens to use marijuana for medical purposes. Tell your legislators that jailing patients is bad policy.
If passed, Rep. Trail’s legislation will welcome Idaho into the
ever-growing list of states that recognize the absurdity of punishing seriously
ill patients for using a treatment method that is both far less addictive than
many currently prescribed medications (such as OxyContin) and that lacks the
seriously debilitating side effects associated with many of the commonly used
pain management drugs. The introduction of this bill has enabled Idaho to start
the necessary conversation about implementing a compassionate, thoughtful, and
well-regulated medical marijuana law. It often takes several years of education
to pass medical marijuana legislation; continued introduction and discussion of
Rep. Trail’s bills are crucial steps forward in the pursuit of compassionate
medical marijuana policy in the state.
A February 2011 Boise State University Public Policy Survey found that
74% of respondents favor allowing “terminally and seriously ill patients to use
and purchase marijuana for medical purposes.” Email your legislators to make sure they know their constituents care about this issue!
If you are a medical professional or a patient who might
benefit from medical marijuana, we would like to hear from you. Additionally,
if you are a law enforcement official, member of the bar, clergy member, or
local official who supports this issue, please email state@mpp.org to see how you can be of special
help.
Under current Idaho law, an
individual charged with possession of up to an ounce of marijuana faces a year
in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine. To learn more about Idaho’s marijuana laws,
arrests, and use, please see Dr. Jon Gettman, Ph.D.’s comprehensive report.
Stay connected
Thank you for supporting MPP. To stay updated on the status of marijuana policy reform in Idaho, be sure to subscribe to MPP's free legislative alert service, if you haven't done so already.
