Asheville NC lawmaker introduces medical marijuana bill

[G_j]

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110402/NEWS/304020024/Keever-introduces-medical-marijuana-bill?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage

Asheville lawmaker introduces medical marijuana bill

4:32 AM, Apr. 2, 2011 Written by
Nanci Bompey


RALEIGH — A local state lawmaker introduced a bill this week that would make it legal to grow and use marijuana for medical purposes.

Rep. Patsy Keever, D-Buncombe, is one of three primary sponsors of the North Carolina Medical Cannabis Act filed on Thursday.

The legislation would allow patients with debilitating medical conditions to use marijuana to alleviate their symptoms. It would set up a system for operating medical cannabis centers and growing marijuana for medical use.

Keever said marijuana has proved to be a good, affordable pain reliever for people who suffer from chronic illnesses or are undergoing cancer treatments. She said the state could also make money from growing it.

..more..

[NightWatcher]

1. medical marijuana is not the way to go. restrictive rules do more harm than good

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2010/oct/07/new_jersey_medical_marijuana_rul

(in New Jersey) The proposed regulations limit access to patients suffering from at least one of nine specified diseases or conditions and require that their recommending physicians have been treating them for at least a year and have had seen them in their offices at least four times. Recommending physicians must be prepared to state that other therapies have been tried and failed.

Patients must then be approved by a state-appointed review panel. If approved, they can obtain medicine only from one of four dispensaries or have it delivered to them by a dispensary (unless they are within 1,000 feet of a school). Patients cannot grow their own, nor can they designate a caregiver to grow for them, although they can designate a caregiver to pick up their medicine if necessary. They are limited to two ounces per month.

The regulations specify that medical marijuana can be no stronger than 10% THC and that only three strains will be available. The medicine can be formulated as dried flowers, oral lozenges, or a spray.

Nonprofit dispensaries, or Alternative Treatment Centers, would obtain their supplies from one of two grow operations licensed by the state. Application fees for dispensaries are $20,000, with only $18,000 refundable if the application is denied. There is also a $20,000 annual renewal fee.

[fujiyama]

2. How is that "more harm than good" though?

I figure any easing of restrictions, is better than nothing.

And you should remember, this is NC we're talking about. Granted Asheville is a little progressive bubble, but still, I wouldn't expect decriminalization in NC or SC, especially the latter.