Pubdate: Wed, 09 Apr 2014
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Page: A12
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Times, LLC.
Contact:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Author: Andrea Noble

PROPOSAL WOULD LOOSEN RESTRICTIONS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA RECIPIENTS

D.C. Council members introduced legislation Tuesday that would greatly
expand the availability of medical marijuana to D.C. patients by doing
away with the list of qualifying conditions that currently restrict
access to the program.

A bill introduced by Council member Yvette M. Alexander, Ward 7
Democrat and chairman of the Committee on Health, would eliminate a
list of four conditions that currently allow a patient to seek a
doctor's referral to use medical marijuana. Instead the bill would
amend the definition of "qualifying medical condition" to mean any
condition that would benefit from medical marijuana treatment as
determined by the patient's physician.

The council's 13 members unanimously sponsored the bill, virtually
assuring its eventual passage.

Currently, the District's tightly regulated program identifies only
four illnesses as eligible for medical marijuana treatment - HIV/AIDS,
cancer, glaucoma, and conditions characterized by severe and
persistent muscle spasms, such as multiple sclerosis. While officials
believe as many as 40,000 of the District's 640,000 residents could
qualify for the city's medical marijuana program under those
conditions, only about 200 patients have been approved since the
program got up and running in July.

"It has been made clear that this program is in need of a legislative
improvement," Ms. Alexander said as she introduced the
legislation.

In March, the District's Department of Health announced it would begin
accepting petitions from individuals seeking to add new illnesses to
the list of qualifying medical conditions, but medical marijuana
advocates criticized the process as overly burdensome.

Health department Director Joxel Garcia has testified during prior
council hearings that he supports leaving the decision up to doctors
rather than government officials.

Ms. Alexander cited Dr. Garcia's testimony, as well as that of current
medical marijuana patients and others who hope to gain access to the
drug, as the reason for her support.

"While we are able to legislate what conditions we think are best, it
is clear that the medical opinion of a physician should take priority
in determining who obtains access to medical marijuana," Ms. Alexander
said.

The legislation loosening the restrictions comes as D.C. Mayor Vincent
C. Gray last week signed a bill decriminalizing marijuana. 
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