LEIBELL INTRODUCES BILL TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

State Sen. Vincent Leibell has introduced a bill in Albany to legalize
marijuana for medical purposes.

Advertisement Speaking from the floor of the Senate Tuesday, Leibell told
the Putnam County Courier such legislation is already in effect in a dozen
other states across America.

If approved by his colleagues in the Senate and Assembly and signed into
law by Gov. George Pataki, the measure would allow doctors to prescribe
marijuana to patients with life-threatening, degenerative or permanently
disabling conditions.

"I am not talking about the "decriminalization of pot. The legislation is
aimed for a narrow segment of our population under closely controlled
medical standards. I propose the use of medicinal marijuana for those
people who are seriously ill and have no other type of relief," he said.

The Republican Leibell and the bill's co-sponsor Democrat Assembly Health
Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried of Manhattan received testimony and
sworn statements from numerous individuals indicating that marijuana was
the only drug that gave them relief.

Leibell called the legislation "a compassionate road to travel."

Barbara, a resident of Carmel, underwent massive doses of chemotherapy and
radiation last year as a result of a malignancy. "My second regiment of
chemotherapy resulted in constant nausea. I don't ever remember being so
sick. The cancer was being addressed but my system was ravaged by
vomiting," she recalled.

A family member provided her with several marijuana cigarettes. "I was
leery at first to even light up since I never smoked. However, once I took
a 'hit' from the cigarette, the nausea instantly disappeared. It was
amazing," she said.

Oncologist Dr. Anup Das of Carmel endorsed Leibell's proposal. "From a
medical point, I have no problem with it. If marijuana helps a patient, let
him or her be able to use it," he said.

Das said other drugs exist for nausea and vomiting. "However, if a patient
wants to use marijuana to alleviate the problems associated with cancer
eradication, they should have the right to do so. A patient should not be
denied the drug," he said.

Leibell forecast once signed into law the legislation would assist
thousands of people across the state.

"If people are uninformed and don't realize that the bill is aimed at a
narrow group then it becomes a political problem. I am in no way, shape or
form proposing that marijuana for recreational use become legalized. The
New York State Medical Society has endorsed the bill as have New York's
nurses. Even the deans of New York's 17 medical schools recognize that
medical marijuana was another tool for our medical profession to employ in
terms of pain management and in some cases controlling symptoms," he said.

Joining Leibell in Albany for the announcement was TV talk show host Montel
Williams. Williams is prescribed medical marijuana by a California doctor
to help him cope with multiple sclerosis. Williams also urged Gov. Pataki
and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno to follow the other states that
have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.