March 21, 2012 | Patients denied public hearing; sponsor offers study resolution

Patients denied public hearing; sponsor offers study resolution

Dear Supporter:

We
are grateful for the efforts of Del. Mike Manypenny (D-Grafton), who introduced
effective medical marijuana legislation in West Virginia for the second
consecutive year. H.B. 4498 would
have allowed seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana if recommended by their doctors.

Sadly, Del. Manypenny’s bill was once again denied a public hearing by the House Health and Human Resources
Committee.

Yes,
this is an outrage, but of course it’s not unusual for political leaders to shy
away from a controversial issue in an election year. The refusal by a few
delegates to place this bill on the agenda does not mean your emails and phone
calls didn’t make an impact on legislators! And, of course, we aren’t stopping
now.

To
ensure that patients have their cases heard by the legislature, Del. Manypenny
has shifted gears by offering a resolution, HCR 144,
calling for the legislature to study medical marijuana more thoroughly.

Please contact your legislators and ask them
to support HCR 144. A public
hearing would have been great, but this resolution at least gives us an
opportunity to educate legislators in advance of the next election. Let’s keep
the information flowing!

Sincerely,

Matt Simon
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project