Christy Welliver calls it her "get out of jail free card," a scrap of paper advising would-be arresting officers that she is smoking marijuana to curb symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
Welliver's prescription for Marinol, a pill that has the properties of marijuana, will alert cops that she has legitimate reasons for using the drug, but that's about all the prescription is good for, even in Columbia, where medical marijuana is legal. Municipal ordinances allow her to possess a small amount of pot, but they don't allow her to grow her own marijuana plants, nor do they provide a way for her to legally obtain the drug. And "doctors' orders" mean nothing if she's caught with a joint outside the city limits or if she's busted by county or state law enforcement officers who aren't bound by city ordinances.
Welliver is among a group of Missourians asking lawmakers to give residents a chance to legalize medical marijuana. A bill sponsored by Rep. Kate Meiners, D-Kansas City, would ask voters in November 2010 whether patients should be allowed to use the drug for medical purposes and obtain it legally by either growing a few marijuana plants or purchasing it from certified dispensaries.
The bill isn't likely to get far: House Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, doesn't consider it a priority in these tough economic times, spokeswoman Kristen Blanchard said.
Still, Columbia attorney Dan Viets, coordinator of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Missouri, is optimistic that legalizing medical marijuana is ripe for discussion. In November, Michigan became the 13th state to approve medical marijuana. And even though federal laws still prohibit growing or distributing marijuana, President Barack Obama has indicated he wants to end federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries.
Even the tiny town of Cliff Village in southwest Missouri approved a medical marijuana ordinance earlier this month, although it was mainly a symbolic gesture, the Kansas City Star reported. Richard had no comment on the ordinance, Blanchard said, even though the town is within his district.
Fears remain that legalizing pot would make it more accessible to teens, many of whom already believe the drug is relatively harmless. "If they see that it's legal for people who are sick and if it's being prescribed, obviously they will think it's not that bad," said Kristyn Wright, who coordinates substance abuse prevention for Columbia Public Schools. "It would make it much harder to keep away from kids. That's one reason prescription drugs are so widely used" by teens. "It's so easy to go in the medicine cabinet and get their hands on them."
Both Viets and Welliver say they don't think marijuana is any more dangerous than legal prescription medication. "It's crazy to me that people would not be allowed to do something that is so harmless, that they would not be allowed to help themselves," said Welliver, who smokes pot mainly to curtail leg spasms. "Marijuana is such an easygoing drug compared to prescription medicine out there that really is hard on your body."
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Columbia Daily Tribune
Author: Janese Heavin
Contact: Columbia Daily Tribune
Copyright: 2009 The Columbia Daily Tribune
Website: Doctor's orders
Welliver's prescription for Marinol, a pill that has the properties of marijuana, will alert cops that she has legitimate reasons for using the drug, but that's about all the prescription is good for, even in Columbia, where medical marijuana is legal. Municipal ordinances allow her to possess a small amount of pot, but they don't allow her to grow her own marijuana plants, nor do they provide a way for her to legally obtain the drug. And "doctors' orders" mean nothing if she's caught with a joint outside the city limits or if she's busted by county or state law enforcement officers who aren't bound by city ordinances.
Welliver is among a group of Missourians asking lawmakers to give residents a chance to legalize medical marijuana. A bill sponsored by Rep. Kate Meiners, D-Kansas City, would ask voters in November 2010 whether patients should be allowed to use the drug for medical purposes and obtain it legally by either growing a few marijuana plants or purchasing it from certified dispensaries.
The bill isn't likely to get far: House Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, doesn't consider it a priority in these tough economic times, spokeswoman Kristen Blanchard said.
Still, Columbia attorney Dan Viets, coordinator of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Missouri, is optimistic that legalizing medical marijuana is ripe for discussion. In November, Michigan became the 13th state to approve medical marijuana. And even though federal laws still prohibit growing or distributing marijuana, President Barack Obama has indicated he wants to end federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries.
Even the tiny town of Cliff Village in southwest Missouri approved a medical marijuana ordinance earlier this month, although it was mainly a symbolic gesture, the Kansas City Star reported. Richard had no comment on the ordinance, Blanchard said, even though the town is within his district.
Fears remain that legalizing pot would make it more accessible to teens, many of whom already believe the drug is relatively harmless. "If they see that it's legal for people who are sick and if it's being prescribed, obviously they will think it's not that bad," said Kristyn Wright, who coordinates substance abuse prevention for Columbia Public Schools. "It would make it much harder to keep away from kids. That's one reason prescription drugs are so widely used" by teens. "It's so easy to go in the medicine cabinet and get their hands on them."
Both Viets and Welliver say they don't think marijuana is any more dangerous than legal prescription medication. "It's crazy to me that people would not be allowed to do something that is so harmless, that they would not be allowed to help themselves," said Welliver, who smokes pot mainly to curtail leg spasms. "Marijuana is such an easygoing drug compared to prescription medicine out there that really is hard on your body."
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Columbia Daily Tribune
Author: Janese Heavin
Contact: Columbia Daily Tribune
Copyright: 2009 The Columbia Daily Tribune
Website: Doctor's orders
