Medical marijuana bill passes in Assembly

Albany – The State Assembly has passed a medical marijuana bill that would allow patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and other life-threatening or debilitating conditions to be able to legally use marijuana to alleviate the pain associated with their symptoms.

Assembly woman Nancy Calhoun (R - Blooming Grove), who supported the legislation, said the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine concluded in a 1999 report that nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety due to serious illnesses can be relieved by the medical use of marijuana.

"humane thing to do"
...Calhoun

“Legalizing the medical use of effective medicine does not undermine the message that non-medical use of illegal drugs is wrong,” said Calhoun.

“However, medical marijuana must be made available to those patients who have life-threatening or debilitating diseases and cannot alleviate their pain through other means. It is the humane thing to do.”

Calhoun pointed out that there are many controlled substances, such as morphine, valium and steroids, are legal for medicinal use but illegal on the open market.

“It’s hypocritical to forbid physicians to prescribe marijuana while permitting them to use morphine and risperidone to relieve extreme nausea and pain,” said Calhoun.

The bill now goes to the Senate.