Many would benefit from legal medical marijuana

The Pennsylvania House will wrangle over provisions that ultimately could lead to legalizing medical marijuana.

A 69-page bill under consideration passed the Senate in May by a vote of 40 to 7.

The Medical Cannabis Act would empower a state board to license growers, dispensers and processors. Patients would need written proof of medical necessity.

The time has come to put an end to demonization of the cannabis plant.

Ten years ago, the Times News printed a story about a local man dying much too young. He suffered with terminal brain cancer.

He was a popular musician and artist; a man loved by all. Various benefits and fundraisers were organized to help him and his family in their plight.

During the interview, we asked him how he was able to sustain strength.

"Right now, I owe my life to marijuana," he said. "Without it, I'd have no appetite and be unable to eat. Marijuana keeps me going and helps me keep my weight. But please, you must not mention it or write anything about in your story," he said, fearing repercussions.

Naturally, we honored his request.

But how sad we couldn't tell the truth. How tragic that a shameful, public stigma about beneficial use of a drug forced us to sweep facts under the rug.

The man lived many more months and appeared to enjoy a decent quality of life thanks to benefits provided by cannabis.

When something like this hits your community, or, God forbid, your own household, it can change your perception.

Truth is, cannabis was a key ingredient in potions kept inside every medicine cabinet in America back in earlier days.

Before 1937, cannabis was honored for its 5,000-year history as a therapeutic agent across world cultures.

During hearings on marijuana law in the 1930s, some claimed marijuana use caused men of color to become violent and solicit sex from white women.

This kind of nonsensical hype set the tone for the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which effectively banned its use and sales.

The act was ruled unconstitutional years later, but was replaced with the Controlled Substances Act in the 1970s.

That move determined cannabis to be a Schedule 1 drug, the most restrictive category.

When viewed in the larger sense of world history, the condemnation of cannabis is actually a recent development.

If medical application of cannabis can relieve suffering and improve quality of life for certain patients, we owe it to ourselves to cut through chains of puritanical craziness and see that those suffering can get the medicine they need.

As for the tired, old argument of marijuana being a "gateway" drug, the National Institute on Drug Abuse says this: "The majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, 'harder' substances."

Let's face it, the true gateway drug is alcohol. And alcohol is 100 percent legal.

It's time for common sense to prevail.

An added bonus, legalization of cannabis could result in $44 billion in economic impact by 2020, according to Marijuana Business Daily.

But you can't put a price tag on cannabis-related health benefits for patients, maybe somebody in your own family.

If Pennsylvania follows the lead of other states, the list of approved conditions might include cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, glaucoma, diabetes and chronic or intractable pain.

The time has come to put a witch hunt behind us and push for a sensible approach for medical cannabis.

By Donald R. Serfass | dserfass@tnonline.com