MEDICAL POT ADVOCATES PREDICT LEGALIZATION WIN

Supporters of legalized marijuana for medical purposes predicted
Monday that legislation will advance this year, possibly succeeding in
both the House and Senate and landing on Gov. John G. Rowland's desk.

Last year the controversial legislation won approval in the powerful
Judiciary Committee, but fell 15 votes short in the House of
Representatives.

But more doctors seem to be supportive of the measure this year,
combined with a widening range of lawmakers who believe that the
smoked form of the drug has more therapeutic benefits than legally
prescribed chemical compounds.

"For me, this bill isn't an attempt to legalize marijuana," Rep. James
W. Abrams, D-Meriden.

"It's about keeping people out of jail."

Over the previous three years, Abrams has seen his effort fail without
a hearing; gaining a public hearing without a committee vote; then
narrowly winning approval in the Judiciary Committee last year before
failing after an emotional vote in the House.

Under the current bill, doctors would be held harmless on the issuance
of certificates to gravely ill patients, who could grow as many as
five marijuana plants for personal use.

"Despite what many people think, marijuana works and has many medical
benefits," Rep. Penny Bacchiochi, R-Somers, said recalling that 22
years ago, illegal, smoked marijuana helped her now-deceased first
husband in his battle against bone cancer.

"It is to remove the threat of prosecution for people who use it for
medical reasons," Bacchiochi said.

Dr. David Simon of Mansfield, a board-certified anesthesiologist, said
it's a fallacy that a 1981 state law allows physicians to prescribe
marijuana. The Department of Consumer Protection, he said, routinely
rejects those requests.

Simon said that there are about 23 varying chemicals in smoked
marijuana, compared to the simply compounded Marinol pills, which cost
up to $5,000 a year.

"The fact is smoking marijuana works better than Marinol," Simon said.
"It's prohibitively expensive compared to growing marijuana at home."

He said that among the obstacles facing the smoked form of the drug,
is its lack of a patent or profits to be made. Many prescription drugs
are so expensive because their development takes a lot of money.

During a public hearing Monday before the Judiciary Committee, a
petition signed by about 300 state doctors was presented.

Neal Levine, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy
Project in Washington, said in a statement that nationwide, supporters
were surprised to see how successful proposals were in various state
capitals.

"We were told by statehouse insiders that the medical marijuana bill
wouldn't even pass one committee, but we got such a groundswell of
support that the bill made it to the House floor and nearly passed.