MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL TABLED BY HOUSE

SANTA FE -- Rep. Joseph Cervantes, R-Las Cruces, alleged that a
medical marijuana bill that passed earlier this session in the Senate
was sent to the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee to die.

And that's exactly what happened Saturday.

The committee tabled the bill on a 4-3 decision, with Committee
Chairman Joe Stell, D-Carlsbad, casting the deciding vote. By tabling
the bill, the committee will prevent it from advancing to the House
floor for a vote

"Why are you trying to kill us," Essie DeBonet wailed after the
committee's decision.

DeBonet identified herself as a 61-year-old AIDS patient dealing with
constant nausea. She said use of medical marijuana allows her to keep
down the food she needs to stay alive.

But a number of law enforcement officers, including federal drug
control officers from Washington, D.C., opposed the bill, saying it
would lead to abuse of the drug.

In casting the deciding vote, Stell said New Mexico is a part of the
federal union. Others voting against the bill also said they did not
want to violate federal law.

Cervantes, who is a member of the committee, questioned why the bill
was sent there in the first place. He noted that it had nothing to do
with water, and very little to do with agriculture.

"This bill is here for a reason. It's been sent here to kill it,"
Cervantes said. "The assumption is that because everybody on this
committee is from rural New Mexico, we're a conservative lot; and a
conservative lot will kill this bill. And I think that's unfortunate."

Cervantes, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said any legal
problems in the bill could have been considered there. He noted that
on Friday, all 70 members of the House heard a bill to declare the
official "state cowboy song." He said the medical marijuana bill
should get at least the same consideration.

"This issue is important enough that all 70 of us should hear it,"
Cervantes said.

Rep. Andy Nunez, D-Hatch, apparently agreed. Even though he argued
against the bill, Nunez moved that it be allowed to advance with a
"no recommendation" from the committee. But before a vote could be
taken, Rep. Richard Cheney, R-Farmington, moved that the bill be tabled.

The tabling motion was approved with Reps. Cheney, Stell, Sandra
Townsend, R-Aztec, and Don Tripp, R-Socorro, voting in favor.
Cervantes, Nunez and Rep. Ray Begaye, D-Shiprock, voted against the
tabling motion.

Cheney said that cancer has touched everybody in the room, and that
his best friend had died of cancer. But he said lawmakers should not
be swayed by emotion when making such decisions.