Legalize ALL Types of Medical Marijuana in Pennsylvania!
- by: Catey Stuber
- recipient: State Representative Matt Baker, State Senator Mike Folmer (R), House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R), Chair PA Health House Committee Matthew Baker (R)
I'm a cancer survivor suffering from multiple painful physical conditions. There are people like me, living in immense pain daily, who could be helped by medical marijuana. A new bill in Pennsylvania would legalize medical marijuana, but the bill doesn't go far enough: it would severely limit who can access the treatment and how they can administer it.
The bill, SB3, would legalize only oil forms of medical marijuana, preventing many patients from administering the drug in a way that works best for them. Both vaporizing and smoking cannabis would be illegal, and the list of conditions for which patients can be approved for the treatment does not include severe or debilitating pain, such as what I suffer from.
Please sign my petition to tell PA legislators to legalize ALL forms of medical marijuana, not just oil forms, and to include those experiencing severe pain as potential patients.
The bill legalizes oil forms of cannabis for people with 10 conditions, including cancer and epilepsy. But it isn't ONLY these people who need this treatment. I was just 17 when I was diagnosed with Leukemia. Since then, I've also been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Osteopenia, and Avascular Necrosis (AVN) -- all of which are incredibly painful. AVN causes my knees to deteriorate and crumble. I have no more cartilage between the bones in my knees. My right knee needs to be replaced. I have joint pain in my hips and ankles, and pain all over my back. I have chronic headaches that happen at least once a day.
Still, none of the pain I experience compares to my right knee pain. I can't move without my knee hurting, and I can't adjust the position of my leg without my knee hurting. Medical marijuana could help me, but under this bill, I would not have access to the treatment I need. There are people who suffer from chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and other illnesses who need this treatment. It's time to provide people like me with the relief they need, not push through legislation that is half-hearted.
A new poll shows that voters in PA now favor medical marijuana legalization over ANY presidential candidate for 2016!
It's not fair that only oil forms of medical marijuana are getting closer to being legalized, and that chronic and debilitating pain is not included in the list of conditions. Help me fight for all those who need access to medical cannabis. Please sign my petition to tell PA legislators to legalize ALL forms of medical marijuana, not just oil forms, and to include those experiencing severe pain as potential patients.
Cancer survivor Catey Stuber of Schaefferstown, PA started a Care2 petition asking PA legislators to change the bill so that it would legalize all forms of medical marijuana, not just oil, and to include severe and debilitating pain among the list of eligible conditions.
Stuber suffers from multiple other painful physical conditions -- fibromyalgia, osteopenia, and avascular necrosis (AVN) -- but the current bill would leave people like her who are suffering from chronic pain without access to a drug that could provide them relief. In addition, legalizing only oil forms of medical marijuana eliminates patient choice, and the ability for them to choose the method that works best for them.
California's historic medical marijuana legislation, Prop 215, includes chronic pain among the list of eligible conditions, as well many other illness for which marijuana provides relief. Pennsylvania's bill needs a similar clause.
Please change SB3 so that it would legalize ALL forms of medical marijuana, not just oil forms, and to include those experiencing severe pain as potential patients.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.