Medical marijuana goes forward in House Committee

The Minnesota Independent

By Andy Birkey

A pair of bills advancing quickly through the Minnesota Legislature would allow seriously ill Minnesotans to use medical marijuana to alleviate pain. The Senate bill passed a key Senate committee on Tuesday afternoon, and on Wednesday morning the companion bill passed the House Civil Justice Committee without any dissenting votes. Each bill faces at least one more committee before reaching the floor in either chamber, and support for the bill continues to build.

“It really feels like the momentum is building and this is the year we’re going to get this done,” Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, chief author of the Senate bill, said in a statement on Wednesday. “One-quarter of the country now protects medical marijuana patients from arrest, and there is simply no reason to use Minnesota’s police resources to arrest the sick for trying to relieve their suffering.”

The House Civil Justice Committee rehashed many of the supporters’ testimony and opponents’ concerns. The committee can be heard here (MP3).

Date: 03/11/09