{"id":5699,"date":"2016-03-15T07:56:14","date_gmt":"2016-03-15T07:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marijuana.com\/?p=47805"},"modified":"2016-03-15T07:56:14","modified_gmt":"2016-03-15T07:56:14","slug":"medical-marijuana-gains-momentum-in-us-senate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/medical-marijuana-gains-momentum-in-us-senate\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical Marijuana Gains Momentum in US Senate"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/medical-marijuana-gains-momentum-in-us-senate\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><p>Pressure is mounting on U.S. Senate leadership to address\u00a0the growing gap between state medical marijuana policies and federal law.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, former Republican presidential candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC) co-sponsored the\u00a0Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act, a comprehensive bill aimed at easing the implementation of state medical marijuana programs.<\/p>\n<p>And on Monday, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) visited a medical marijuana dispensary in his home state and announced\u00a0that he too would soon sign on.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Really powerful visit with patients &amp; families this morning at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PrimeWellnessCT\">@PrimeWellnessCT<\/a> &#8211; one of the state&#39;s 6 medical <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/marijuana?src=hash\">#marijuana<\/a> dispensaries<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChrisMurphyCT\/status\/709419823198027776\">March 14, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js?a8203f\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I&#39;m working to protect CT&#39;s <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/medicalmarijuana?src=hash\">#medicalmarijuana<\/a> law from federal restrictions &amp; pass legislation like the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CARERSAct?src=hash\">#CARERSAct<\/a> to improve access<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChrisMurphyCT\/status\/709420207396286464\">March 14, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js?a8203f\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The bill,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.com\/blog\/news\/2015\/03\/new-senate-bill-would-end-federal-war-on-medical-marijuana\/\">introduced last March<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rand Paul (R-KY),\u00a0would\u00a0reschedule marijuana, protect\u00a0banks that\u00a0provide financial services to state-legal cannabis businesses, lift restrictions on marijuana research, allow for the interstate importation of cannabidiol (CBD)-rich strains and authorize\u00a0V.A. doctors to recommend medical cannabis to military veterans, among other changes.<\/p>\n<p>Not counting Murphy, who isn&#8217;t\u00a0officially listed as signed on yet, the legislation\u00a0currently has 16\u00a0co-sponsors, including three Republicans.\u00a0Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), a longtime vocal opponent of reforming drug laws, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.com\/blog\/news\/2015\/07\/senate-drug-warrior-supports-medical-marijuana-bill\/\">is also on board<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.com\/blog\/news\/2015\/03\/medical-marijuana-gains-momentum-in-congress\/\">companion bill<\/a>\u00a0introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) has 30 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n<p>The new Senate support adds\u00a0to growing momentum behind\u00a0the legislation. The support from Graham,\u00a0a high ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is particularly meaningful. The CARERS Act is now before that panel, but\u00a0Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) has given no indication he will schedule a hearing or allow a vote.<\/p>\n<p>Graham&#8217;s position on marijuana, like that\u00a0of many elected officials, appears to be evolving.<\/p>\n<p>While serving in the U.S. House, he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/105th-congress\/house-joint-resolution\/117\/\">voted for a 1998 resolution<\/a>\u00a0&#8220;expressing the sense of Congress that marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug and should not be legalized for medicinal use.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Last\u00a0May Graham\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/marijuana.com\/news\/2015\/05\/senators-approve-medical-marijuana-for-veterans\/\">voted against<\/a> a Senate Appropriations Committee amendment to allow Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend medical marijuana to military veterans.<\/p>\n<p>But in June, he\u00a0expressed support for an amendment to\u00a0prevent DEA interference in state medical cannabis laws. Although he\u00a0missed a committee vote on the measure and the chairman entered a proxy &#8220;no&#8221; for him, Graham later made it clear\u00a0he was in favor. \u201cA no by proxy vote was cast in error,\u201d he <a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/magazine\/story\/2015\/07\/dea-marijuana-120674\">said<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cWhile the language in this amendment needs to be clarified to ensure that states are limited to purely medicinal uses of marijuana, I do believe that medical marijuana holds promise and support this amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mike Liszewski of Americans for Safe Access told Marijuana.com in an interview that Graham&#8217;s\u00a0evolution could be a sign of things to come.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We think Senator Graham could be a bellwether to further support from fellow Republican members of the Judiciary Committee,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Since 2015 we have seen several members of that committee begin to evolve on medical cannabis when introduction of the CARERS Act forced offices to take a closer look at the issue.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have comprehensive medical cannabis programs, and another 17 states allow for nonpsychoactive cannabis preparations that are rich in CBD, which has\u00a0been shown to help people suffering from severe seizure disorders.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania&#8217;s House of Representatives is scheduled to vote this week on state Senate-passed legislation to create a comprehensive medical marijuana program. Gov Tom Wolf (D) has pledged to sign it into law.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The House is back in session today \u2014 it&#39;s time to pass Medical Cannabis Senate Bill 3. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/P3VxeTi8si\">https:\/\/t.co\/P3VxeTi8si<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Vr22hZL8ku\">pic.twitter.com\/Vr22hZL8ku<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GovernorTomWolf\/status\/709444118125154306\">March 14, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js?a8203f\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>As more state laws come online\u00a0and public support increases, pressure continues to mount on Congress to amend federal law.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We look forward to more of Senator Graham&#8217;s Republican colleagues joining him and the 85% of Americans who support safe and legal access to medical cannabis,&#8221; Liszewski said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pressure is mounting on U.S. Senate leadership to address\u00a0the growing gap between state medical marijuana policies and federal law. Last week, former Republican presidential candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC) co-sponsored the\u00a0Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act, a comprehensive bill aimed at easing the implementation of state medical marijuana programs. And on Monday, [&#8230;] <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2421,2417,9,1,3],"tags":[2427,2419],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5699"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}