We had a tough choice between these two pull quote titles for this post:
“…an opioid crisis, not a hospice crisis…” and “…the candy doctor…”
We kid you not on that last. And there’s yet another unbelievable reaction from the UMA below. Read on…..
Regarding HB195 and HB197 – which (sadly) were reported out of a House Committee today with little opposition….
“Rep. Edward Redd, a Republican from Logan, called the measures a good way to try to ‘move the ball forward in a very careful and appropriate way’.”
[..depending on your meaning of the word “forward,” of course..]
“Advocate Christine Stenquist said the state needs comprehensive medical marijuana legalization so everyone with chronic pain can get relief, not just people whose doctors say they are dying. The 45-year-old suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, a condition that affects a nerve linked to the face.
‘I don’t suspect I’ll be in hospice anytime soon, but I live with chronic pain,’ Stenquist said. ‘Utah has a problem with an opioid crisis, not a hospice crisis. We have people who are dying from opioids because of chronic pain.’
Lawmakers have rejected a broad medical pot law during the last three consecutive sessions. Now, advocates are going to voters, gathering signatures to get an initiative on the November ballot.
Organizers have collected 102,000 signatures — close to the 113,000 needed by mid-April.
The Utah Chiefs of Police Ass’n and Sheriffs Ass’n opposes both legislative measures because they violate U.S. law, Ogden Police Chief Randy Watt said at a committee hearing.
‘We think we are duty-bound morally to respect federal law,’ Watt said.”
We find the “respect federal law” argument to ring especially hollow in a state which so often argues against fed laws it doesn’t like with appeals to the 10th Amendment – which reserves powers not specifically delegated to the central government to the states.
So respect for said fed gov’t seems to vary considerably according to whether one agrees with it on any particular issue.
TRUCE’s objections to the laws are laid down in full here: http://ift.tt/2DS4XDT
Meanwhile, “the candy doctor”:
“Advocates questioned [the limit of 15 patients per doctor], but co-chairman Rep. Kennedy said it’s a good idea to prevent any one physician becoming the ‘candy doctor’ for the entire state.” [Remember we’re talking about dying patients confined to hospices here. *Shaking our heads*]
Finally: “The [UMA] doesn’t yet have a position on the measure allowing the terminally ill to use pot, saying there are still many unanswered questions.”
Uhh, what – is the UMA afraid cannabis might – well, you know……??? Oy. There are things medicinal cannabis opponents say that you just can’t make up.
#MMJ #HB195 #HB197 #UTpol #PatientsBeforePolitics #TRUCE [2-2-18]
See full article – Utah moves forward with bills allowing marijuana use by terminally ill, research grows
