Since I have been writing about Michigans Medical Marijuana proposal I started looking into what states around it had laws on the books.
Lets start with Pennsylvania. Nope, nothing here. Nothing on the books. The cupboard is bare in Harrisburg.
Ohio? Yep, they are looking for sponsers for a bill. Hopefully they will find some so that they can get it before the voters.
New Jersey? The Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey is leading the lobbying effort to pass this important legislation. They have garnered the support of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, the New Jersey Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the New Jersey League for Nursing, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s southern and northern New Jersey chapters, and many other organizations. With this impressive level of support, MPP is hopeful that seriously ill New Jersey residents will soon get the protection they deserve.
There is no reason for New Jersey’s legislators to stall any longer. Polls and common knowledge both show that medical marijuana is not a controversial issue. Gov. Jon Corzine (D) has even said he would sign the bill into law if it got to his desk.
Ohio? “In a previous legislative session, the Ohio Medical Marijuana Act (OMMA), got as far as the Senate Criminal Justice committee. The Criminal Justice committee held the legally required sponsor hearing but it did not pass any farther.
Now the Ohio Medical Compassion Act SB 343 is waiting to be heard in committee We have a two sponsors in the in the Senate (Senator tim Roberts and Dale Miller). Please ask your legislators to consider cosponsoring the bill and to contact the appropriate sponsor for more information.”
Indiana? During the 2008 session, not one legislator stepped forward on behalf of Indiana’s seriously ill to introduce a medical marijuana bill. And just for the sake of clarity? Do not get caught in Indiana with any weed or paraphanalia. Or you will become a resident of their penal system. Indiana does not fool around.
And Illinois weighs in with lot of progress was made this legislative session with the Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Pilot Program bill. SB 2865 picked up three new co-sponsors this year, and the bill’s lead sponsor, Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), sat down with law enforcement to listen to their concerns and then amended the bill to address those concerns.
SB 2865 passed the Senate Public Health Committee with a 6-4 vote and is now awaiting a vote on the Senate floor, which must take place by January 13, 2009 per legislative rule.
HB 5938 was re-referred back to the rules committee and now must be moved out of that committee in order to receive a floor vote.
Michigan is being watched very closely by her neighbors. What happens in the Great Lakes State, most likely will influence the states around her.
Hmmm.
Namaste.
