Legislators in Colorado are astounded by the rapid growth of the state’s medical marijuana program. Hundreds of dispensaries have cropped up in the cities and thousands of new patients are registering every day for protection from arrest for their medical use of marijuana under the state constitution. In response, legislators keep dreaming up new ways to restrict the Colorado program to stem what they mistakenly consider to be “abuse” of the law.
Their latest effort is Senate Bill 10-109. Attorney Robert Corry of the NORML Legal Committee provides his analysis of the bill here. In short, the lawmakers wish to place restrictions on medical marijuana far more onerous than any other medical procedure or drug therapy. As Corry writes in his analysis for the legislators:
In general, the top three problems facing Colorado’s Medical Marijuana patients are (1) high cost; (2) choices and consistent supply; and (3) quality control and labeling. Fundamental laws of supply and demand — which the legislature cannot repeal — hold that only way to lower cost, on both a short- and long-term basis, is to increase supply. SB 10-109 would significantly increase costs to patients, thereby placing the most vulnerable of them in danger.
As a threshold legal matter, the medical use of marijuana is a constitutional right, which cannot be limited by the legislature without amending the state constitution. Your legislative oath of office to support the Colorado Constitution (Colorado Constitution, Article V § 2) means the voters have entrusted you to uphold all aspects of the Colorado Constitution, even those with which you may personally disagree. We understand that the medical use of marijuana is controversial, but majority rules, and the majority of Coloradoans placed this in our constitution.
In an effort to show the legislators just how restrictive and discriminatory the language of SB 10-109 is, Corry attached a re-write of the bill, replacing the words “medical marijuana” with “abortion”. You know that if any bill like this were ever introduced in Colorado, some political careers would be over:
A BILL FOR AN ACT CONCERNING REGULATION OF THE PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP FOR ABORTION PATIENTS.
A physician who certifies that a patient can use abortion shall certify certain information to the department and maintain a separate record-keeping system for his or her abortion patients. A physician who certifies that a patient can use abortion shall not receive remuneration from or offer it to any other provider of abortion.
The bill creates an abortion review board (board) that will consider requests by nonveteran patients under 21 years of age who want to be registered abortion patients. For a patient who is under 21 years of age to become a registered abortion patient, a majority of the board must determine that the patient has a pregnancy and could benefit from the use of abortion.
Contact info for the committee hearing this bill is provided below:
Senator Betty Boyd (D), Chairwoman
District 21: (Jefferson County)
Phone: (303) 866-4857
E-mail: betty.boyd.senate@state.co.us
Senator Linda Newell (D), Vice-Chairman
Distirct 26 (Arapahoe and Jefferson counties)
Phone:: 303-866-4846
E-mail: linda.newell.senate@gmail.com
Senator Morgan Carroll (D)
District 29 (Arapahoe County)
Profession: Attorney/Small Business Owner
Phone: : 303-866-4879
E-mail: morgan.carroll.senate@state.co.us
Senator Kevin Lundberg (R)
Phone: 303-866-4853
E-mail: kevin@kevinlundberg.com
Senator Shawn Mitchell (D)
District 23 (Adams, Broomfield and Weld counties)
Profession: Attorney
Phone: 303-866-4876
E-mail: shawnmitch@aol.com
Senator Paula E. Sandoval (D)
District 34 (Denver County)
Profession: Businesswoman
Phone:: 303-866-4862
E-mail: nwden34@yahoo.com
Senator David C. Schultheis (R)
District 9 (El Paso)
Profession: Real Estate Investor (Retired)
Phone: 303-866-4835
E-mail: senatorschultheis@gmail.com
