Attempt to legalize marijuana for medical use in Iowa fails again
Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 1:08 pm | By: Radical Russ
Le Mars Daily Sentinel: Story: Attempt to legalize marijuana for medical use fails again.
Iowa will not be joining 13 other states that allow using marijuana for medical purposes.
A bill that dealt with that was taken off the table Tuesday.
Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, who filed Senate File 293 last week, pulled the bill during a subcommittee meeting, the first step any bill must pass through.
“He realized there were some flaws to it and he wanted to relook at it,” said Sen. Randy Feenstra. “He may come back with it next year.”
One of the problems with Bolkcom’s bill was that it stated a “practitioner could prescribe it and the person could grow it, distribute it, and use it,” Feenstra said.
He said the word “practitioner” was ambiguous as it didn’t identify whether that was a doctor or someone else.
Why didn’t Sen. Bolkcom just use the template of the medical marijuana laws already successfully implemented in thirteen states? Many states have used Oregon’s template and even improved it by adding protections for employment rights. Don’t re-invent the wheel, Senator!
A search of the Internet revealed thousands of websites where advocates favor legalizing marijuana for medical purposes because research has indicated the drug does help with those conditions and many others.
Liz Kurth, a registered nurse and oncology certified nurse and oncology coordinator at Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars, said there are better drugs on the market today that are very effective in treating conditions like severe nausea in chemotherapy patients.
“In my opinion the drugs we have such as Zofran and Kytril, they do a wonderful job of controlling nausea,” Kurth said. “I don’t see great strides in using marijuana. I think it’s almost going backward.”
Zofran may cause drowsiness or dizziness. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Zofran with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome: constipation; diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness; headache; irritation, redness, pain, or burning at the site of injection; tiredness. Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur: severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; fever; skin tingling or numbness; trouble urinating; vision changes or loss.
Kytril may cause drowsiness or dizziness. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to Kytril. Using Kytril alone, with certain other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen your ability to drive or perform other potentially dangerous tasks. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome: agitation; anxiety; constipation; diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness; headache; indigestion; nausea; stomach pain; taste changes; trouble sleeping; vomiting; weakness. Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur: severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; fever, chills, or sore throat; unusual muscle movement.
Topics: IA SF293, Iowa
“our drugs are better for controlling nausea”
Controlling by causing it, maybe. That’s right ma’am, keep making money for big pharma at the expense of the sick. There’s ample proof that cannabis relieves serious nausea, and plenty of proof that her prescribed favourite medications cause it.
yes we cannabis!
all we can hope for is 2010…..
or a change in federal policy. 