I recently wrote of my opposition to Maryland House Bill 712. I'm here to revise and amend my remarks. Last Friday afternoon February 26, 2010 in Maryland's Joint Committee Hearing Room was a sight to see. A bill that already had an impressive list of sponsors had an even more impressive list of witnesses testifying in favor of HB 712. On the house side, the bill currently has 48 sponsors so it is not an orphan by a long shot. Over one fifth of the bills sponsors are Republican in a heavily Democratic state. Of the ten Republican sponsors, three are minority whips. What really excited the proponents was when bill sponsor Del. Morhaim said in his opening remarks that he was considering revisiting the issue of personal cultivation. That was not the only high point.
The high point for me had to be the number of patients that came out to testify in favor of Md. HB 712. It was John McCarthy who HIV positive, Christa (hope I spelled that right) who's body has forgotten how to make collagen, Mike Bullis with glaucoma, then there were two cancer survivors Suzi Rank and Pamela Hughes, all of whom came forward to say, I need this law. In 2007, I was the only local patient to testify in favor of medical marijuana. This year it was panel after panel, each with multiple patients, or at least that was how it seemed sitting in the hearing room.
Even as I write, I am hearing of support from unlikely sources like the relative of a friend of a relative who just posted to his Facebook page a link about my testimony. I don't mention his name because he is law enforcement and I didn't get his permission. Nevertheless, that brings me to another point. Law enforcement statements are that they are not going to make a public statement. Again, it is a first in Maryland, a medical marijuana bill without law enforcement’s active opposition.
We had our experts too. Can't get anything passed without experts. There was Dr. Applebaum a geriatric specialist and Robyn Elliott representing Maryland Nurses Association, along with others. Of course, we cannot discount the fact that Del. Morhaim is also Dr. Morhaim. The fact that it is a doctor bringing forth the legislation says a lot. In Dr. Morhaim's ideal, we would get a real prescription from a doctor, take it to our local Rite Aid, CVS, Epic or pharmacy of our choice and be able to receive whatever cannabis, in whatever form that our doctor ordered.
Don't get me wrong I would like a country where I can get a thirty-day supply of cannabis products for a fifteen-dollar prescription co-pay. In the mean time, I want to be able to grow my own medicine. That way I get to use the whole plant, the buds, the leaves even the stems. One good thing is both ideas for seeing that the medicine gets to the patient can operate simultaneously. So if I want to continue to cultivate my own I can or I could get it safely from my neighborhood druggist.
I did miss the opposition from last time though. It was a little daunting last time to learn the Bush Whitehouse had sent Dr. Bertha Madras. Dr. Madras was the Deputy Director for Demand Reduction, Whitehouse Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The Bush people were serious. They didn’t want Maryland to have a medical marijuana law some 6.5 miles from the Whitehouse Portico. It was nice to see the Obama Administration have a slightly different take on the issue.
Whom I really missed was Joyce Nalepka. Joyce Nalepka is a citizen activist from the other side. She was successful in passing bans on paraphernalia in Maryland and other states. She had been horrified went she went to buy an album and there were all these bongs on display at the record store. How shocking! Where I went to college her name was Sally, I won’t tell the name of the store where she worked. We called her our one stop record shop. She sold everything, music, papers, pipes and something to put in it. If Mrs. Nalepka only knew what was under the counter or in the storeroom back then.
What made Joyce so entertaining is that she has this scroll of names. I don’t want to misrepresent what is on the scroll so leave it to say it is the names of people whose lives were ruined by marijuana. I think it is the names of people who went on to use heroin and later died. As I said, I don’t want to overstate her case for her. What’s important is the theatre with which she rolls out the scroll.
When we were before the House of Delegates committee, she got away with it. However, when we got over to the Senate side they wanted no part of her street theatre. You know senators they all think their house is more revered. As she was approaching the point where she rolled out the scroll, she was admonished from the Chair not to do it. Well you know even conservatives aren’t afraid of a little civil disobedience to make a point. Out she rolled the scroll right on cue. The Chairman called for the Capital Police to come and take her and her scroll away. When the officer started to roll, it back up he was told that, that was precisely what they didn’t want. The officer did a "scoop and grab" and away went Mrs. Nalepka and her little scroll too.
The bill did have its detractors. Mainly they were concerned about the use of cannabis by schizophrenics. This exchange sounded like global warming. Those who want schizophrenics kept away from cannabis said their scientists were smarter than those who thought they had science on their side. It all has to do with the different cannabinoids and how they react on the brain. The important part being that what ever the effects on the schizophrenic mind it is a small part of the population. There are also thousands of other medicines I suspect, that it would be inappropriate for schizophrenics to take. We do know that whatever the law, someone with in the 1% of the population that has schizophrenia, will get their hands on one of those medicines and it will have a tragic maybe even newsworthy results. This should not change my right to medicine that works on the other 99% of the population.
Maryland is very close this time out. What I need as a patient, is for all those who support medical marijuana to contact the Maryland Legislature and voice your opinions. Here are some links that will help:
http://mlis.state.md.us/... Pick a sponsor and let him or her know you support the bill. On the other hand, you could contact Chairman Joseph Vallario of the Judiciary Committee at joseph.vallario@house.state.md.us Chairman Vallario last time refused to call for a vote in the Judiciary Committee effectively killing the bill in 2007. Let Del. Vallario know you want an up or down vote this time. If you live in Maryland, contact your Delegates or State Senator and voicing your opinion to them. They are easy to find here http://mdelect.net/...
It is time again to show your support of medical marijuana. Remember this time we have a lot of politicians on both sides supporting us. Please keep your rhetoric civil. Your Momma was right. You catch more bees with honey than vinegar and some of those bees are looking for an excuse to vote no. Don’t give the one; give them a reason to vote yes.