Medical Marijuana in Kansas?

Kansas Proposed House Bill 2330 would legalize medical marijuana. This law hopes to provide legal protection for medical marijuana patients. The proposed bill will be heard by the House Committee on Health and Human Services on Tuesday, January 24th.

The legislation would allow qualified Kansas patients who are diagnosed with a "debilitating medical condition" to possess up to 12 cannabis plants and/or 6 ounces of marijuana for therapeutic purposes. The measure seeks to establish not-for-profit "compassion centers" to provide medical marijuana for hurting patients.

According to a 2010 statewide poll of Kansas voters, nearly 60 percent of respondents support this measure. However, this will be a tough sell for Kansas legislators.

Currently, there are sixteen states which allow medical marijuana. Many people believe that suffering patients in Kansas should be allowed this same help. We currently allow much more debilitating and addictive drugs which were fabricated and manufactured by drug companies. How hypocritical is it to disallow a more natural and safe drug like marijuana?

As a criminal defense lawyer, I would be happy to lose a significant portion of my drug defense business if it meant that people got the legislative help they needed.