Pubdate: Tue, 15 Mar 2016
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)
Copyright: 2016 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340
Author: Angela Couloumbis

PA. MIGHT SOON LEGALIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA

HARRISBURG - The state House could decide as early as this week on 
whether Pennsylvania should become the 24th state to legalize medical 
marijuana.

The House began debate Monday evening on a legalization bill approved 
last spring by the Senate. Under the measure, people who suffer from 
certain conditions would be able to access medical cannabis in oil, 
ointment, and pill forms.

But as with all big-ticket bills in the Capitol that inspire deep 
divisions, it could fall victim to politics. The 
Republican-controlled chamber is considering a lengthy list of 
changes to the measure, which advocates say could make access more 
difficult for those who need it.

And several legislators privately grumbled that one of their 
colleagues, Rep. Matt Baker (R., Bradford), an opponent of the bill, 
appeared to be attempting to pull off a Washington-style filibuster 
Monday night - a preview of what could ensue when the measure comes 
up for a vote on final passage. That could happen as early as Wednesday.

Even if the bill passes the House, it is unclear whether the 
amendments the chamber appears certain to make are palatable to the 
Senate, where Democrats and Republicans alike have championed the issue.

Jennifer Kocher, a spokeswoman for Republicans who control the 
Senate, said the caucus was reviewing the proposed changes.

Gov. Wolf, a Democrat, supports legalizing medical cannabis and has 
said he would sign a bill if it reaches his desk.

"It is time to legalize medical marijuana, because we should not deny 
doctor-recommended treatment that could help people suffering from 
seizures or cancer patients affected by chemotherapy," he said in a 
statement Monday.

Already legal in states including New Jersey, medical marijuana is 
touted by its advocates as a safe and effective way to battle 
symptoms arising from a variety of conditions. The Senate bill covers 
conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

For months, the House has either blocked a vote on the measure or put 
off considering it.

Speaker Mike Turzai (R., Allegheny) opposes medical legalization. But 
Majority Leader Dave Reed (R., Indiana) is a supporter, and vowed 
this year to bring the measure up for a vote.

The main amendment the House approved Monday evening grew out of 
months of work by a bipartisan work group of House members and staff.

Though the amendment, sponsored by Rep. Ron Marsico ( R., Dauphin), 
replaces the Senate measure, it largely tracks with what senators 
have approved.

Like the Senate version, it would cover a specific list of 
conditions. They include cancer, Parkinson's disease, multiple 
sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, and "intractable seizures."

Under the amendment, patients would be issued identification cards 
that would allow them to access medical marijuana from one of 150 
dispensaries across the state.

Both growers and dispensaries would pay an initial application fee, 
registration fees, and annual renewal fees. A 5 percent tax would 
also be imposed on the gross receipts from the sale of medical 
marijuana by a grower to a dispensary.

"I believe this amendment earnestly and honestly helps people who 
need it most," Marsico said during floor debate.

Baker, who chairs the House health committee, spent more than an hour 
listing his objections to the measure - his chief one being that 
marijuana-derived treatments have not been approved by the U.S. Food 
and Drug Administration.

"Marijuana is a dangerous drug," said Baker. "We should not be 
legislating medicine."

But Rep. Mike Vereb (R., Montgomery) said listening to medical 
professionals as well as families with loved ones suffering from 
severe pain had convinced him of the necessity of legalizing medical marijuana.

He said there is "a full-blown epidemic staring us in the face" in 
Pennsylvania, with people becoming addicted to prescription opioids 
and heroin - and dying.

Said Rep. Nick Miccarelli (R., Delaware): "If this amendment saves 
any one life in our commonwealth, then it's worth trying."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom