MEDICAL POT GETS HEARING BEFORE PANEL

Viets Played Role In Legislator's Measure

JEFFERSON CITY - Advocates of a medical marijuana proposal made their
case to a House committee this morning and got a measure of support
from at least one key lawmaker.

Rep. Thomas Villa, D-St. Louis, sponsor of the legislation, said
though he doesn't know much about the drug, he is advocating the
change "out of a sense of human compassion."

Villa's bill would allow patients with debilitating medical
conditions - including cancer, AIDS, severe pain and other
afflictions - to possess as many as seven marijuana plants and as
much as 3 ounces of processed marijuana. Patients legally could use
marijuana if they had a written statement from a physician who said
benefits outweigh health risks for the patient.

Villa said he was approached about the idea by Columbia attorney Dan
Viets, who was instrumental in advocating a new marijuana law in
Columbia. That law, approved by voters in 2004, allowed seriously ill
adults in the city to use the drug with permission from their doctors.

Viets did not attend the hearing, but other Columbia residents did.
Columbia physician John Mruzik said numerous medical studies have
shown the benefits of marijuana for people with certain conditions.
He also said that 70 medical associations have supported the medical
use of marijuana.

"I think we should let this go to the people," Mruzik said. "We
should let the people decide."

Christy Welliver, a Columbia resident who uses a wheelchair because
of multiple sclerosis, said marijuana has provided some help with
spasticity in her legs, though she no longer uses the drug. In an
interview, Welliver said she knows "lots of people" helped by using
medical marijuana.

"I've never understood why it wouldn't be allowed," she said.

Other witnesses told the panel marijuana was useful in treating pain
from collapsed lungs or in alleviating a severe stutter.

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws, 12 states have legalized use of marijuana for medical purposes,
although a federal ban on the drug is still in place. Last June, the
U.S. Supreme Court ruled that medical marijuana users could be
prosecuted for violating federal drug laws.

Despite the federal ban, there was some sympathy among members of the
Health Care Policy Committee. In an interview, Rep. Robert Wayne
Cooper, a Camdenton Republican who heads the committee, said Villa's
bill is too broad and he would prefer the legislature act on the idea
rather than voters.

But Cooper, a physician, said he thought testimony from people with
medical conditions might have swayed panel members.

"I think medically it's the right thing to do, to move in a fashion
that would legitimize it under certain circumstances," Cooper said.

Michael Boeger, assistant administrator of the Bureau of Narcotics
and Dangerous Drugs in the state Department of Health and Senior
Services, testified against the bill.

Boeger said his department is concerned about the health and welfare
of Missouri residents but that the state is handcuffed by the federal
Drug Enforcement Agency and federal laws that ban the use of marijuana.

Boeger also raised technical concerns about the bill, such as the
possibility a patient could have multiple caregivers who also enjoy
legal protection if they acquire, grow or administer marijuana.

Boeger cited a hypothetical example in which law enforcement
officials found someone in possession of a bag of marijuana, but the
owner said it belonged to his or her grandmother.

"Does Grandma have six primary caregivers?" he asked.