SENATE
HOUSE
JOINT
BILL STATUS
STATE LAW
REPORTS
EDUCATIONAL
CONTACT
home
home
Introduced Version House Concurrent Resolution 144 History

   |  Email
Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 144

(By Delegates Manypenny, Doyle, Brown, Reynolds, Mahan,

               Fragale, Guthrie and Kump)

 

 

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to authorize a study on medical marihuana in this state.

    Whereas, Modern medical research has discovered a beneficial use for medicinal marihuana, cannabis, in treating and alleviating the pain or other symptoms associated with certain debilitating medical conditions, including the neuropathic pain caused by multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, and other illnesses and injuries that often fail to respond to conventional treatments and relief of nausea, vomiting and other side effects of drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS, cancer and hepatitis C, increasing the chances of patients continuing on life-saving treatment regimens as found by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine in March 1999; and

    Whereas, Studies published since the 1999 Institute of Medicine report have continued to show the therapeutic value of marihuana, cannabis, in treating a wide array of debilitating medical conditions including, but not limited to, cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), Crohn's disease, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, addiction to opiates or amphetamines, chronic and debilitating diseases or medical conditions or the treatments that produce one or more of the following: cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures and severe and persistent muscle spasms; and

    Whereas, The United States as represented by the Department of Health and Human Resources, owns patent number 6630507 that indicates that Cannabinoids, the unique active compounds in cannabis, marihuana, have been found to have antioxidant properties and have particular application as neuroprotectants in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia; and

    Whereas, The American Association of Retired Persons magazine performed a poll of its members in 2004 on whether they approved of permitting doctors to prescribe cannabis, marijuana, and seventy-two percent of those polled approved of doctors prescribing cannabis, medical marihuana, to patients with debilitating diseases; and

    Whereas, The following organizations represent a short list of those that have indicated support of a patient's legal access to cannabis, marihuana, for medical use: American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Student Association, American Nurses Association, American Preventive Health Association, American Public Health Association, New England Journal of Medicine, Lympoma Foundation of America, The Montel Williams MS Foundation, National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, National Association for Public Health Policy and Virginia Nurses Association; and

    Whereas, Although federal law currently prohibits the use of cannabis, marihuana, the laws of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington permit the use of cannabis, marihuana, for medical purposes under the recommendation of a doctor; and

    Whereas, According to the United States Sentencing Commission and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ninety-nine percent of marihuana arrests in this nation are made under the laws of states, rather than under federal law, therefore changing the law of this state on this subject could have the practical effect of protecting from arrest seriously ill people who have a medical need to use cannabis, marihuana; and

    Whereas, West Virginia can benefit from directing the taxes derived from the sale of medical cannabis, marihuana, to treatment centers that can better accommodate the over capacity of its prisons system resulting from the exploding abuse of pharmaceutical opiates and methamphetamine as prison is not the appropriate place for a person addicted to a particular substance; and

    Whereas, According to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "Overdose deaths from prescription painkillers have skyrocketed in the past decade. Every year, nearly 15,000 people die from overdoses involving these drugs -- more than those who die from heroin and cocaine combined"; and

    Whereas, The Legislature is committed to evaluating the use of appropriate pain therapy techniques as those develop within various regulated clinical environments and applying those methodologies in this state to provide a variety of appropriate and cost-effective pain therapy for the citizens of this state that would seek to reduce the amount of opiates required to address patient pain, thus reducing the likelihood of opiate addition and abuse; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to authorize a study on medical marihuana, cannabis, in this state, including the medical benefits realized by resident patients and their families, the possible number of West Virginians that could benefit from cannabis medicine, the economic benefits to the state through taxation and secondary business growth, support of small farm local agriculture, using fewer criminal justice resources otherwise used to arrest, prosecute and sentence individuals possessing or growing cannabis, the reduction in methamphetamine, opiate and alcohol abuse and the effect on domestic violence; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2013, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.

This Web site is maintained by the West Virginia Legislature's Office of Reference & Information.  |  Terms of Use  |   Email WebmasterWebmaster   |   © 2024 West Virginia Legislature **


X

Print On Demand

Name:
Email:
Phone:

Print