House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

Posted:	April 29, 2014 04:53 PM
From:	Representative Ed Gainey
To:	All House members
Subject:	Companion to SB 770 (Leach) - Medical Marijuana

It is my intention to introduce a companion bill to Sen. Leach’s SB 770. This is legislation which would allow physicians in Pennsylvania to prescribe medicinal marijuana to patients who would medically benefit from such a prescription. Currently, nineteen (19) states and the District of Columbia already have similar laws on the books. Marijuana has been prescribed in these states for a variety of ailments, but primarily for the purpose of countering the effects of chemotherapy, the control of pain and relief of the symptoms of glaucoma. It has proved particularly effective in re-establishing some ability to eat in patients suffering from severe, chemo-therapy nausea. It seems cruel and irrational to deny people medicine that will help them feel better, when we routinely prescribe far more toxic medications for many of the same conditions. I hope you will join me and my counterpart in the Senate in ensuring that our sick friends and family members will have access to the best medicine available to relieve their pain. NOTE: This legislation will legalize marijuana for medical use ONLY.
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Introduced as HB2424