Surgeon General recognizes MMJ benefits : Senate Bill to end war on MMJ introduced
- Seniors MMJ Network
- Mar 11, 2015
- 2 min read
The leafs have started to change and Medical Marijuana reform has come to the forefront. Two major things happened recently that have the potential to help millions of people. First, the US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy points to current data that support the medicinal properties of Medical Marijuana. He also supports more in-depth research.
Seniors, Veterans, researchers, and the current Marijuana industry all have reasons to be excited about the newly introduced CARERS (Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States) Senate Bill. Republican senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, along with Democratic senators Corey Booker of New Jersey and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York introduced the bill Tuesday.
Although the bill proposes many changes, we've selected three and an honorable mention, that we feel are going to have the largest impact on patients and new users.
1- Protection from Federal prosecution for patients, Doctors, businesses and researchers in States that have Medical Marijuana laws. Currently 23 States have approved MMJ. CARERS also proposes changes so that States can set their own medical marijuana policies instead of the Federal Government.
2- Reclassifying Marijuana on the Controlled Substance Act. Currently, Marijuana is a Schedule I drug. Schedule I is reserved for what the Drug Enforcement Administration considers to have the highest potential for abuse and no medical value. The goal is to move Marijuana to a Schedule II drug -- a classification for less dangerous drugs that have an accepted medical use.
3- Removing roadblocks to more research. This couldn't happen without the above. As of today, all MMJ research must go through a Public Health Service review, it's a process that no other Schedule I substance is subject to. Federal authorities have long been accused of funding only Marijuana research that focuses on the potential negative effects of the substance. The Senate bill would allow for no less than three other (aside from the lone Federal program) licensed sources for research-grade cannabis, a move that provides a significant boost to unlocking the medical promise of the MMJ.
Honorable mention (Honorable for a reason) -
Easier access for Veterans. CARERS would lift current bans and allow for VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana to their Veteran patients suffering from certain conditions, like PTSD, where it is legal to do so under State law.
Heavy hitters in the reform world, Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and Americans for Safe Access (ASA)were involved in crafting the Senate Bill. Absent from that list was National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Skeptical of the potential success, Executive Director at NORML, Allen St. Pierre says the bill is "historic" and that "Marijuana prohibition is not going to end without a public conversation".
The winds of change are blowing, what's your opinion? Lets us know on www.facebook.com/seniorsmmjnetwork
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