ANNAPOLIS – A litany of testifiers — from cancer survivors to scientists to police officers — showed their support for a bill that would make this state the 15th to legalize medical marijuana in a joint house-senate hearing in the state legislature Friday.
Although some said the proposed bill was too restrictive, lawmakers pointed to loopholes and potential consequences as cause for amending the bill. If approved, the legislation, which was co-sponsored by Delegate Dan Morhaim (D-Baltimore) and Sen. David Brinkley (R-Frederick and Carroll), would give patients with serious medical conditions the right to purchase medical marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries or pharmacies.
“The science is in, the personal testimony is overwhelming,” Morhaim said. “Now we have a responsibility to do what we do best — craft the law which will allow orderly and proper access while avoiding undesirable side effects.”
The delegate stressed that, if passed, the bill would usher in one of the strictest medical marijuana laws seen so far in the country. The legislation stipulates that patients can only be prescribed marijuana treatments if they have an “ongoing relationship with their physician” and other treatments have failed. Patients would also be prohibited from growing the plant themselves, and workers at any state-licensed dispensaries must undergo background checks and cannot have ever been convicted of a felony.
Two professors from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Mary Lynn McPherson and Dr. Bradley E. Alger, made their cases in favor of the bill early on in the hours-long hearing.
“Pain relief is an essential human right,” McPherson said, after testifying that marijuana is as or more effective than drugs now on the market for pain relief and appetite stimulation.
Drugs available for pain relief and appetite stimulation may not work as quickly as marijuana, may have more undesirable side effects and could be difficult to ingest for patients struggling with nausea — a common side-effect of chemotherapy — she said.
Alger delved deep into the science of how marijuana works at the hearing, concluding that since it operates like other prescribed drugs it should not be stigmatized.
While most delegates and senators were receptive to the sentiment behind the bill, working out the kinks could prove to be messy. Some legislators think the bill allows for too many loopholes and proposed a number of amendments, such as expanding the felony exclusion to include other offenses and mandating growing facilities be indoors and secured.
Others, including Delegate Joseph F. Vallario (D-Calvert and Prince George’s), feared passing a bill that would contradict federal policy after DEA officers raided dispensaries in California.
Though Morhaim expressed willingness to negotiate on the specifics, some constituents, on the other hand, think the bill is already too restrictive. Many testifiers claimed preventing individuals from growing the plant themselves could price out low-income patients out and that quotas on the amount of marijuana a patient could be prescribed may be too low.
“I am a little concerned about affordability,” said one testifier. “I’d like the prices to be something someone can afford on Medicare or Medicaid and social security.”
Irina Alexander, president of the university’s chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, said not allowing patients to grow medicinal marijuana themselves could hamper the abilities of some who need the drug to procure it.
“A lot of patients, especially if they have really serious conditions, aren’t able to move themselves, so getting to the dispensaries could be a problem,” Alexander said. “And sometimes prices are a little cheaper if you grow it on your own. Making sure all patients have access is important.”
The only law on the books regarding medical marijuana in the state was enacted in 2003 and allows people convicted of possession to use medical reasons as a valid defense in court for lowered penalties.
Although student members of SSDP haven’t been particularly active in support of this bill, Alexander said the legislation would be a “step in the right direction” for the state.
apino@umdbk.com
