FALMOUTH, Maine — Maine’s medical marijuana law does not cover individuals who hope to use the drug for mental health or psychological disorders, but a bill to be introduced in the state Legislature by Rep. Mark Dion could change that.
In a press conference Monday, Dion, a Portland Democrat who represents portions of the city and nearby Falmouth, and representatives from the ACLU and Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine outlined proposed changes to the law.
Alysia Melnick, public policy council for the ALCU of Maine, said the goal of Dion’s bill is to obtain access to medical marijuana for any Mainer a doctor deems eligible.
“Right now, what you have is patients and their family members having to cross their fingers, hoping their loved ones condition happens to be one that happens to be approved by legislators, very few of whom are doctors,” Melnick said.
Melnick helped draft the medical marijuana law voters approved in 2009 and said that conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder were originally included, but were rejected by the Legislature.
“Initially in that bill, the proposal was to have it be that a patient would qualify [for a medical marijuana prescription] if their doctor determined that it would be beneficial to treat their condition and illness,” she said. “Unfortunately, the Legislature rejected that and left us with this list of conditions with a process to add others, but that process was never put into place.”
Dion said doctors should have the ability to prescribe medical marijuana to any patient who could be helped by the drug.
“We don’t tell doctors what they can and can’t do for any other type of medication,” he said. “Why should we for medical marijuana?”
Paul McCarrier, legislative liaison for Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine, said adding conditions such as PTSD and other mental-health conditions to the existing bill is a necessary step that should have happened two years ago.
“We feel like this is a very important cause. We have veterans that are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan that are suffering from PTSD who are unable to get the medicine of choice to deal with this,” McCarrier said. “Patients and caregivers in this state have been very patient in wanting to work with the [state], but these patients can’t wait any longer.”
Melnick said the hope is that the Legislature will “see the wisdom of leaving highly personal decisions about medical care and treatment between a doctor and their patient.”
The bill is in the process of being assigned a number and entering committee work, so there is no definite schedule for when it will be seen by the Legislature, but Melnick said she expects there will be a lot of support for it once it gets there.
“It’s a bill that makes sense and it’s a bill that is reflective of the facts and the needs of Mainers,” she said. “Nobody wants to see veterans and others not able to use a medicine that has been determined to be safe. I know the public sees the vital importance and the positive outcomes of marijuana for sick patients, and there’s no reason that it should be excluded for many who could benefit from it.”
Yes, we can “expand” the law by legalizing marijuana.
Live and let live.
Just my opinion.
Sure. Though many people simply aren’t ready to accept straight up legalization. Incrementally making it more “mainstream” – medicinal usage, de-criminalization and then legalization will probably be a winning formula. Slow and steady.
Sometimes I think you expect to live forever. :D
Oh no, not at all, just trying to be realistic. :)
Truth told in the matter, I’m for legalization for pragmatic reasons and would support any pro-mj legislation – though I’ve no real personal stake and never have, so I’d probably never be a loud proponent.
I don’t see the point of prohibition. It hasn’t worked before and isn’t working now.
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I agree with you.
But I also think that now, particularly in light of the recent decisions in Washington and Colorado, we should bring the idea of recreational use out of the closet.
If we are really a “free market economy,” we’d take advantage of the tens of millions of decent American citizens that simply enjoy the herb.
Legalize it and let it find it’s place in our marketplace. It would create thousands of jobs, and huge tax revenues.
Live and let live.
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Let’s jump this whole thing and go the way of Washington and Colorado and just outright legalize it.
Excellent idea, It’s a career-ender for many people if they get busted. Alcohol is far more dangerous for lots of reasons. Pot is passive.
Hey ACLU, you already have your hand in everything else, leave this alone!
just what we need, easier access to addictive drugs.
Benefits yes….smoked of any sort is not good. Done my share, bs to say smoking is good for you. THC should be delivered in another way
Legalization is way past due.I have never heard of somebody getting high and getting in a brawl,beating their spouse,blacking out ,urinating on themselves the list goes on and on.Happens every day with booze.
And here we go- the Democrats are back in control of the Legislature and on a tear.
Just legalize spin damnit and quit dancing around, as a matter of fact legalize peyote too. Sweet Jesus two drugs that give us understanding and make us laugh are feared for what,…… oh yeah that’s right they allow us to see the truth and through the BS put there to deceive us.
“oh yeah that’s right they allow us to see the truth and through the BS put there to deceive us.”
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News Flash :
If you are smoking marijuana you are part of the b.s., you just haven’t figure it out yet. Most likely because your to stone to figure it out. And not that you would ever figure it out if your weren’t.
There are very, v-e-r-y few reasons why people do drugs, the least of which is for enlightenment. The interesting thing however is ‘that all’ drug users share the same traits.
Just a little tidbit from that other side we call reality.
But having said all that, there is a ton of money to be made on this if it gets planted in the public’s mind through the small steps of the sham called medical marijuana legalization, which is the goal and why it’s being pimp to the public, to get it legitimized in the public’s psyche.
A Ton of Money. And what ever, and who ever it harms can be damn. Once it starts it will never nor ever be reversed. It’s so ingrain now into the public sphere, you will simply not be able to reverse it.
The only point I would really make is it address’s nothing other then making money and a new revenue source. But adds another layer to the social experiments that had clear and precise evidence’s to it’s failures before it ever got implemented.
Wow you sound ….. “extremely” worried about your current reality which is hilarious as it is those of your ilk that made the mess that surrounds us.
Unfortunately there are clueless dim wits much like yourself who don’t know the difference between abuse and reasonable use, the mental midgets who put everything in one classifying box.
“3rd rail” I’d imagine, go rail some where else storm trooper.
Consider changing your handle to: aus den Schienen
Get busy studying the potentially vast uses of cannabinoids, such scientific study has been prohibited for over 70 years (BY the disease enforcement industries).
Intoxication and sedation are NOT the main event, especially not the smoking realm.