Apr 1, 2006 3:03 pm US/Central
MN Lawmakers Mull Medical Marijuana Bill
by Pat Kessler
(WCCO)
Medical marijuana is already legal in 11 states under tightly regulated conditions. Could Minnesota become the 12th?
For some people with debilitating diseases or chronic illnesses, smoking pot is the only relief they can get from the pain. But legalizing it for medical purposes isn't simple after years spent fighting recreational marijuana use.
Irvin Rosenfeld, a 53-year-old stockbroker from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recently lit up a marijuana cigarette outside Minnesota's State Capitol. Rosenfeld, who suffers from a rare bone disease, is one of seven Americans who get free marijuana from the federal government.
"I am not a criminal," Rosenfeld explained, "but somebody else in your state using the same substance can be put in jail. That just doesn't seem fair."
That's exactly how Darrell Paulsen feels. He's in constant pain from cerebral palsy. He buys his pot illegally from drug dealers.
"When I smoke cannabis or use cannabis, it relaxes my muscles to the point where I don't have the pressure," Paulsen said.
The patients WCCO-TV spoke to said they don't get high from smoking marijuana -- they just get relief.
Sen. Steve Kelley, DFL-Hopkins, says for certain people, pain can only be relieved by pot. He calls legalization the ethical thing to do.
"They got a disease or they were in an accident," Kelley said. "They didn't choose to be in that culture. That was given to them."
It's a tough call for many lawmakers who say legalizing a drug they normally fight sends a confusing message.
"There will be children that will have access to marijuana, that will experiment because of this proposal," said Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen.
If medical marijuana is ever legalized in Minnesota, it would have to be provided by private suppliers who would be licensed by the state to grow and sell it to users.
The current bill would allow 12 marijuana plants per patient, who could carry with them 2.5 ounces of usable pot. They'd also have a special card in case they were stopped by police.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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