New Hampshire Voters Support Medical Marijuana, New Poll Says

[Cobalt Violet]

New Hampshire Voters Support Medical Marijuana, New Poll Says


House Committee to Consider Medical Marijuana Bill Monday

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Laws protecting seriously ill patients from arrest for using medical marijuana with their doctor's recommendation enjoy broad support among New Hampshire voters, a Becker Institute poll revealed today.

Sixty-eight percent of the 400 registered New Hampshire voters polled said they support a state law to "allow people with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other serious illnesses to grow and use marijuana for medical purposes, as long as their physician approves." Among registered Republican voters, 56 percent voiced support. Seventy percent of independent voters favored the statement.

The poll, conducted Feb. 23 to 25, is particularly relevant now as the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee prepares to hold the first legislative hearing on HB 774 — the medical marijuana bill — Monday, said bill sponsor Rep. Tim Robertson (D-Keene).

"This poll is just another indication that New Hampshire's medical marijuana bill is not only sensible, compassionate legislation — it's also politically popular," he said. "Voters are sending us a clear message: Give us a humane medical marijuana law now."

Although federal law makes patients who use doctor-recommended medical marijuana criminals, 11 states have effective laws protecting patients for whom serious research proves the medicine is safe and effective, including those suffering from symptoms associated with life-threatening diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and hepatitis C.

"I'm not at all surprised to learn that the overwhelming majority of Granite Staters support people like me who only want the freedom to make the best medical decisions possible," said Ian Taschner, who suffers from severe nausea. "I should be able to battle my debilitating symptoms and lead a semi-normal life without having to worry that using my doctor-recommended medicine makes me a criminal."


http://www.mpp.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=glKZLeMQIsG&b=1157875&ct=3641449

I poste the whole thing because it is a press release.

[juajen]

1. I had not read about cannabis helping Hepatitis C

I have a family member with this disease. Does anyone have any more info or a link or two, to help me? Thanks so much. Interesting article. It's about time to legalize this herb.

[Cobalt Violet]

2. I have posted about it before.

There are a few links in this post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=218&topic_id=2258&mesg_id=2258


And this is thread of a great editoral that mentions it but got almost no response.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=355842&mesg_id=355842


Marijuana helps by making the side effects of treatment more tolerable. People who used it stuck with the treatment longer and complied to it stickly, thus having 3 time a higher cure rate than those that didn't.

If marijuana had that effect on any other disease it would be big news. There is a lot of bias and ignorance of HCV everywhere even DU.

Has your family member gone into treatment yet?

[mdmc]

3. kick