State Senator Daylin Leach, a co-sponsor of S.B. 1182, a bill that would effectively make medical marijuana legal in the state of Pennsylvania, is taking his fight straight to the Governor’s office.
Leach, also a candidate in Pennsylvania’s 13th congressional district race and a committed progressive, plans to stage a sit-in if Tom Corbett refuses to meet with him or the Republican co-sponsor of the bill, State Senator Mike Folmer.
“We want Governor Corbett to provide a confirmed date and time by May 2nd of when he will meet with me, Sen. Folmer, and at least six parents of children who can benefit from this medicine,” Leach said at a recent press conference this morning. “We demand, and do not think it is at all unreasonable to hold a group meeting before the end of May. If not, at a time of our choosing, families from across the state will gather in the Governor’s Reception Room until he agrees to meet. These families are desperate and tired of waiting.”
S.B. 1182, known as the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act, is the first medical marijuana bill introduced in the state Senate that has garnered bipartisan support.
Leach’s outspoken commitment to the issue is due to Governor Corbett’s alleged declaration that if any medical marijuana bill was to reach his desk, he would veto it outright.
“Governor Corbett has done nothing on this issue while Pennsylvania families suffer,” Leach added. “Since the Senate Law and Justice Committee’s hearing on January 28th, the families of 12 children have calculated that their children have suffered more than 108,000 seizures, spent 63 days in the hospital, used last resort, rescue medications 195 times, missed 184 days of school, and were rushed to the emergency room 20 times.
“The administration’s inaction is callous and inexcusable. We will come to him if he continues to ignore their immeasurable suffering.”
As a very liberal-minded and progressive politician, Leach received the endorsement of former gubernatorial candidate John Hanger in his bid for the PA-13 seat. Hanger ran his campaign on ending the “disastrous prohibition on marijuana that is destroying entire communities across Southeastern Pennsylvania.” He even utilized billboards that read, “Legalize and Tax Marijuana NOW!!!” Hanger, when referring to Leach, said that he was “a true warrior for our shared progressive values.”
Leach wrote, via his Facebook, that he will “stay as long as it takes for [Corbett] to agree to a meeting, or until he has us forcibly dragged out and arrested.”
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76% of doctors support using marijuana for medicinal purposes.
“with 76% of all votes in favor of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes — even though marijuana use is illegal in most countries…In sum, the majority of clinicians would recommend the use of medicinal marijuana in certain circumstances”
Adler and Colbert. Medicinal Use of Marijuana — Polling Results. New England Journal of Medicine. 2013.
This number will continue to rise as more doctors, like surgeon general candidate Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, realize they have been systematically mislead for decades in regard to cannabis.
Medicinal use of cannabis is nothing new, it has been used as medicine in many cultures for thousands of years. It’s new to our generation because of the political agenda that suppressed and demonized it over the last 70+ years. Cannabis is able to treat such a wide range of disease through its action on the newly discovered (thanks to cannabis) endocannabinoid system and the receptors CB1 and CB2 which are found throughout the body:
“…In the past decade, the endocannabinoid system has been implicated in a growing number of physiological functions, both in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in peripheral organs. More importantly, modulating the activity of the endocannabinoid system turned out to hold therapeutic promise in a wide range of disparate diseases and pathological conditions, ranging from mood and anxiety disorders, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, to name just a few…”
Pacher et al. The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Rev. 2006.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.Gov/pubmed/16968947
“Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.”
Grant I et al. Medical marijuana: clearing away the smoke. Open Neurol J. 2012.
“Overall, by comparison with other drugs used mainly for ‘recreational’ purposes, cannabis could be rated to be a relatively safe drug.”
Iversen L. Long-term effects of exposure to cannabis. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2005. Review.
Corbett is one of those people who lack any semblance of empathy. People like the delusional Corbett only see the light when it affects one of their KIDS or themselves. Then they quickly and conveniently change their minds. What a sorry-ass person Corbett is. I actually pity this pathetic human being.
In all honesty, I have never tried marijuana. However, I was diagnosed with CRPS/RSD back in 2001. Networking with others who suffer from this disease, I’ve found many many patients who have had great success through the use of medicinal marijuana that live in Canada, New Jersey, California and more. Some smoked it, some used the oils from the plant. There are states that offer medicinal marijuana for those who are in chronic pain due to CRPS, Cancer, and more. There is NO reason whatsoever to legitimately keep the opportunity to try medicinal marijuana from those who are in extreme pain due to diseases where there is NO cure!
I’m on an extended use narcotic along with other pain medications for my CRPS. My specialists want me to go through yet another surgery for a spinal cord stimulator that may NOT work. Why not give me the CHOICE (and others like me) to try the medicinal marijuana. IF Governor Corbett and those who oppose legalizing “medicinal” marijuana had ONE day where they experienced CHRONIC pain they would have a better understanding. I wouldn’t wish my disease on anyone but sometimes I think these people need to experience the pain of others in order to become more open minded.
Here is a brief description of what I suffer on a daily basis:
I experience continuous burning pain. It varies in intensity. There is NEVER a second where I’m not in extreme pain. The wind hurts, showers hurt, soft touches cause me discomfort. My skin feels like it’s crawling, and I want to rip it off. I have debilitating cluster migraines that make me vomit. When that happens, I go through withdrawal because my pain meds end up in the toilet instead of in my body where it is needed. I have constant burning and cramping on the left side of my body and my right side mirrors the same problems at different times. My hands turn ice cold and blue in color at the drop of a hat. As quickly as that happened, they turn bright red, burning like they were in boiling water or burned by steam. I am a victim to the weather. I cannot sleep because the pain wakes me up. I can’t stand touching anything cold. I drop things. I have tremors. My abilities have diminished greatly. With every medical procedure, my CRPS has spread and the symptoms have worsened. I am only 41 and have been living with this for 14 years! There is NO cure. There are people who suffer from this and are wheelchair bound, some experience their skin falling off. I am one of the lucky ones at this moment. Yes, with all the things I live with …. the INTENSE pain, there are people who have worse cases of CRPS. However, that can change in an instant. My CRPS will not get better unless there is a cure. BUT…. our government has the power to give those in chronic pain the opportunity to try something that just might give us a better quality of life. Do your homework! Look up http://www.crps.org OR http://www.rsds.org.
Here’s an idea for the “honorable” Sen. Leach…before you go around grandstanding and using sick kids to demand a meeting with Governor Corbett, maybe you should concentrate on getting your bill out of your own chamber (not to mention the house).
“Medical marijuana for the children.”
Most.
Disingenuous.
Talking point.
Ever.
Tom Corbett is a degenerate coward. He froze on his first decision in office and has been running scared ever since. He’s afraid to meet with his constituents, sick children, be seen in public or travel in view. He hides behind tired indefensible arguments, then refuses to even attempt to defend them. It’s like the 7th grader certain their teacher won’t notice they’ve plagiarized. We’ve noticed. You’re transparent Corbett, there is no substance. There is nothing to fear we’ll find out, anymore. Come into the light.
Corbett doesn’t even want Medicaid.