MEDICAL MARIJUANA MEASURE REJECTED

State House Vote Sees Debate Over Benefits

By a slender margin, lawmakers decided yesterday against letting
people with debilitating illnesses use marijuana for pain relief or
other medical purposes.

The 186-177 vote in the House killed a bill that would have
decriminalized the drug's use for patients under the care of a
physician for severe illnesses such as cancer, AIDS or multiple sclerosis.

The debate preceding the vote heard testimony from lawmakers with
medical degrees and some who said they would benefit personally from
smoking marijuana for medical purposes.

Rep. Evalyn Merrick, a Democrat from Lancaster who described herself
as a cancer survivor, said no painkiller was able to relieve her pain
during multiple chemotherapy sessions. She said marijuana would not
provide a cure for her cancer, but it would be "a form of pain therapy."

Opponents of the bill disputed the benefits of marijuana and
highlighted what they called the drug's dangerous side effects. Rep.
Joseph Miller, a Democrat from Durham who is also a retired physician,
disputed even the term "medical marijuana." He said that the drug is
hard to monitor and may be contaminated by insecticides or other pollutants.

"Marijuana is not real medicine," Miller said, "nor is it a pure
substance."

But another lawmaker who is also a physician, Rep. William Chase of
Westmoreland, said he had seen the positive impact of marijuana on
cancer patients he had treated.

"It is another tool in the treatment options to improve the quality of
life for a patient," said Chase, a Democrat.

Studies are mixed about the benefits and risks of smoking marijuana
for medical purposes, though many patients say the drug helps relieve
pain and other symptoms. Federal law prohibits the use of marijuana,
but 11 states have passed laws allowing the drug to be used with a
doctor's approval.