Endorsements of medical marijuana legislation

In May, the Joint Committee on Public Health held a hearing on HB 2160, which would allow seriously ill patients with diseases like cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and hepatitis C to use medical marijuana upon the recommendation of a doctor. Patients who possess a registry card from the state would be allowed to possess up to 12 plants and 4 ounces of usable marijuana, which must be stored in an enclosed, locked facility.

Please e-mail your state legislators and ask them to support medical marijuana legislation.

Although HB 2160 still sits in the Public Health Committee awaiting a vote, there has been significant action on drumming up support for this legislation. The bill has caught the attention of many patient advocacy groups across Massachusetts. Currently, HB 2160 enjoys endorsements from the Massachusetts Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Cambridge Cares about AIDS, AIDS Action Committee and the Massachusetts Hepatitis Patient Empowerment Project. E-mail your state legislators asking them to join these compassionate organizations and support the medical marijuana bill.

In addition to the medical community, some significant members of Massachusetts’s legal community also endorse medical marijuana legislation. On behalf of the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA), David White, former president of the MBA, stated “the MBA supports this legislation because it affirms the rights of patients to be treated with medical marijuana — a drug with proven efficacy — while including important regulations to deter improper use.” Joining the Massachusetts Bar Association in publicly endorsing medical marijuana are four local sheriffs in Massachusetts. Sheriffs Carmen Massimiano (Berkshire County), Robert Garvey (Hampshire County), Richard Bretschneider (Nantucket County), and Andrea Cabral (Suffolk County) all publicly support both protecting patients from arrest and prosecution for using medical marijuana with their doctor’s recommendation and providing legal access to this important medicine.

Finally, medical marijuana legislation finds overwhelming support in public opinion polls. A recent nationwide ABC News/Washington Post poll found 81% support for legalizing medical marijuana. At the local level, a September 2009 Suffolk University poll mirrors the finding of the ABC News/Washington Post poll. Suffolk University found that 81% of Massachusetts, residents support allowing "seriously ill patients to use, grow, and purchase marijuana for medical purposes if they have the approval of their physicians." This is impressive enough, but when you dig into the results a little deeper, the results are phenomenal. Suffolk University found that 86% of senior citizens and 70% of Republicans support legal access to medical marijuana! With so much support from the medical and legal communities, as well as overwhelming public support, it's about time the legislators in Boston support this legislation as well!

After you have e-mailed your legislators,please consider submitting a letter to the editor in support of the medical marijuana bill. This is a great way to remind lawmakers that there is widespread support for giving doctors and patients the option of treating disease with medical marijuana. When writing your letter, keep it short (around 150 words) and to the point, and check your spelling.

To find out more about the proposed medical marijuana law, be sure to check out the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance's site.

Finally, if you are a patient with a serious medical condition who could benefit from medical marijuana, a loved one, a medical professional, or a member of law enforcement or clergy who might be interested in speaking out,please contact the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance to see how you can be of special help in passing this legislation.

On November 4, 2008, Massachusetts became the first state to remove the possibility of jail for simple marijuana possession by voter initiative. Under the new law, possession of an ounce or less of marijuana is a civil infraction punishable only by a $100 fine and forfeiture of the marijuana. This is a much more sensible approach than the old penalties of six months in jail, a $500 fine, and a permanent criminal record that carried with it a multitude of collateral sanctions such as loss of employment, housing, and student loans.

Despite the fact that the new law was overwhelmingly approved with 65% of the vote, some localities are considering whether to create an additional penalty for the public use of marijuana. Under Massachusetts law, it is up to localities to decide whether or not, and how, to punish nuisances like drinking alcohol or smoking marijuana in public.

If you hear about such a meeting where you live, we encourage you take part in the democratic process and attend. If you attend one of these meetings, we'd love to hear how it went. Please send to state@mpp.org any feedback, comments, or concerns you have regarding how your community is implementing Question 2.

Earlier this year, legislation seeking to undermine Massachusetts' new marijuana possession law or otherwise increase the penalties associated with marijuana was introduced. Most of these bills were heard before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in July. They now await further action.

If all of these bills were to pass, the areas in Massachusetts where possessing an ounce or less of marijuana could only result in a $100 fine would be reduced to almost nothing. This is most certainly not the situation envisioned by 65% of the voters when they approved Question 2 last November, so please take a few minutes to let your legislators know and ask them to respect the will of 65% of the voters by opposing these bills.

Please see an in-depth report by Jon Gettman, PhD, about the current marijuana laws and policies in Massachusetts.

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