Pa. lawmakers hear medical marijuana arguments

    A bill before the House would allow patients to use marijuana with a doctor’s permission.

    Advocates and opponents of legalized medical marijuana in Pennsylvania stated their case at a Capitol hearing this morning.

    Listen:
    [audio: 091202sdmedmar.mp3]

    A bill before the House would allow patients to use marijuana with a doctor’s permission. The drug would be sold at licensed so-called “compassion centers.”

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    Patients would have to register with the Health Department, and would be limited to six plants or one ounce of marijuana at a time. Those restrictions aren’t good enough for Sharon Smith, the founder and president of the anti-drug organization MOMSTELL.

    Smith: When has smoking anything been good for your health?

    Smith doesn’t buy the argument marijuana can help ease the pain of seriously ill patients.

    Smith: House Bill 1393 ignores the fact that marijuana is an illegal drug with no recognized medical value.

    Supporters of the bill told members of the Health and Human Services Committee that legalizing medical marijuana is a common-sense way to improve the quality of life for some terminally ill patients.

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