Medical Marijuana Makes Gains in MA

You won't be able to access this link unless you're a subscriber, but it's very good news that Hampshire County Sheriff Robert Garvey came out in support of MA House Bill 2160 which would legalize medical marijuana for various classes of illness.

"It's restrictive enough so there will not be any abuses of the drug," Garvey said in an interview Tuesday. "If the medical profession feels patients will benefit ... I see nothing wrong with it." [...]

Licensed patients and their primary caregivers would be allowed to keep up to 12 marijuana plants or 4 ounces of smokeable marijuana. The proposed legislation would bar patients from using marijuana in public places or driving under the influence of the drug.

Medmar advocates have been trying for years to get some kind of legislation through but it has always died in committees. Looks like they stand a better chance this time around. "The sheriffs of Berkshire, Nantucket and Suffolk counties also support the bill." That's big, especically the Suffolk sheriff since that's a rather conservative county and law enforcement resistance has been a major factor in defeating previous attempts. If it succeeds this time around, MA will be the 14th state to allow consumers the choice of this herbal remedy. Wishing them luck. There's really no good reason to deny terminally ill patients this choice.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]