By Noelle Skodzinski
Those waiting for medical marijuana to pass in the Keystone State had their hopes elevated last week when the Pennsylvania Senate voted May 12 to approve a bill that would make it legal for seriously ill patients to use marijuana to treat their conditions with recommendations from their doctors. Even better, the bill past by an overwhelming majority—40-7. But now, as SB3 heads to the House, it faces an obstacle. The bill has been referred to the House Health Committee, and it looks like the Committee Chairman, Rep. Matt Baker (R-Tioga County), intends to oppose the bill. Baker said Friday "he has no plans to take up the Senate’s medical marijuana bill—or any medical marijuana bill, for that matter," reports the Delaware County Daily Times. "The Tioga County lawmaker says Pennsylvania’s Legislature has never approved a drug outside the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval process," reports the Times.
Rep. Matt BakerRep. Matt Baker
Eighty-five percent of Pennsylvanians support legalizing medical marijuana, according to a March 2014 poll by Quinnipiac University.
In what some may consider a bit of irony, among Baker's causes has been a "personal effort" to reduce drug overdose deaths in the state. "Last year, nearly seven Pennsylvanians died each and every day as the result of a drug overdose, according to a report by the Pennsylvania State Coroners Association," wrote Baker in a statement about his efforts. "What is still surprising for many people to learn is that these drug overdoses are not always the result of illegal drugs or, at least, the addictions didn’t start out with illegal drugs. The much more common story is that an individual developed a habit to prescription drugs, such as pain killers, and then transferred over to heroin because it was cheaper and easier to obtain."
According to a report in Cannabis Business Times, "prescription drugs contributed to the deaths of more than 20,000 people in one year [2013]. And more than 16,000 deaths involved prescription painkillers."
While it's not likely anyone would criticize Baker's intentions in fighting drug overdose deaths, the irony lies here: Deaths from marijuana overdoses: zero. And, as Baker may want to note, research indicates that deaths from narcotic painkillers are (significantly) fewer in states that have legalized medical marijuana. As WebMD reported, "Access to medical marijuana is associated with 25 percent fewer prescription drug overdose deaths each year compared to states where medical pot is illegal, according to findings published Aug. 25 in JAMA Internal Medicine. What's more, states that pass medical marijuana laws see their overdose death rates decrease dramatically in the years immediately afterward, researchers reported."
SB3 would enable Pennsylvanians suffering from cancer, seizures, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cachexia/wasting syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury and postconcussion syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Spinocerebellara Ataxia (SCA), posttraumatic stress disorder, severe fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, and chronic pain would be eligible for the proposed medical marijuana program with a recommendation from their doctor.
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Senator Mike Folmer
Sponsored by Sen. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon), SB3 also allow for the development of a limited number of licensed, regulated dispensaries throughout the state. Smoking would not be permitted, but patients could consume marijuana in edible form, and patients with certain conditions would be permitted to consume it through vaporization. Home cultivation would also not be allowed under the bill. Patients under the age of 18 would be required to have parental consent in order to take part in the program.
"House officials say Rep. Jim Cox of Berks County is drafting medical marijuana legislation that could eventually be amended into a separate bill outside of Baker’s committee," according to The Delaware County Daily Times' report.
