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DrugScreening.org


 
Congress Urged to OK Medical Marijuana
May 6, 2005

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News Summary

A group of medical-marijuana advocates and a handful of Congressional supporters held a Capitol Hill press conference this week to urge federal lawmakers to allow medical use of cannabis, the Associated Press reported May 5.

"It is absolutely cruel that the federal government does not allow us the right to use this medicine," said Oakland, Calif., resident Angel Raich, whose medical-marijuana case is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. "It is not easy for us patients that really need this medicine to come out here, to have to fight for our lives on this kind of level."

Also appearing at the event were talk-show host Montel Williams, who said he uses marijuana to treat his multiple-sclerosis symptoms, and Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.). "The notion that a state-sanctioned practice of medicine ought to be criminalized really makes no sense," said Frank.

Frank said he would reintroduce his States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act, while Hinchey and Rohrabacher said they would work to bar the Justice Department from using federal funds to go after medical-marijuana users. "It makes no sense at all to have the federal government overriding a vote of the people of a state on what should be criminalized and what shouldn't be criminalized in terms of personal consumption," Rohrabacher said. 

Reps.  Sam Farr (D-Calif.) and Ron Paul (R-Texas) also have come out in support of medical-marijuana legislation.

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