Legislators ignore medical marijuana research bill

Published: August 13, 2003

North Carolina's medical marijuana research bill (H.J.R. 1038) provided a brief glimmer of hope to the state's medical marijuana patients. But the bill was tabled in the legislature, further delaying protection for the seriously ill individuals who depend on marijuana's medical value.

H.J.R. 1038, introduced by Rep. Paul Luebke (D-Durham), represents the first step toward protecting medical marijuana patients in North Carolina. Please contact your legislators and urge them to support this bill next session: Only you can convince them that this issue is vital to North Carolinians.

Please visit Take Action. After you choose your favorite pre-written letter and type in your address, our site will automatically e-mail your letter to your legislators … all with the click of a few buttons. The whole process takes less than two minutes, but it makes a world of difference. Also, you can print the letters and send them to your legislators through regular mail.

If passed, H.J.R. 1038 would create a research group to study the possession, cultivation, and use of marijuana for medical purposes. The commission would report its findings to the legislature and could serve as a catalyst for a medical marijuana bill. For the text of H.J.R. 1038, see Bills Pending.

It is time for legislators to take real steps toward protecting medical marijuana patients. And with vast public support for medical marijuana—80 percent according to the latest Time/CNN poll—this issue is not going away.

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