The D.C. Council is preparing to introduce a resolution that aims to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes in the District. The bill would require a written approval from a primary physician and would allow a maximum of five sites in D.C. to distribute the drug.
The Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative Amendment Act of 2010 was written by Councilmembers David Catania (D-At Large) and Phil Mendelson (D-Ward 2) and Chairman Vincent Gray (D) and is scheduled for a vote in the spring, according to Benjamin Young, Catania’s chief of staff. After passing the D.C. Council, where it currently enjoys the support of nine councilmembers, according to The Washington Post, the resolution must be signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty before being subject to a 30-day Congressional review period. According to Young, Fenty has yet to make a statement regarding his position on the bill.
According to Young, there is always a fear that legislation legalizing marijuana for medical purposes could be abused and enable people to acquire marijuana for recreational rather than medicinal purposes, but he said the language used in the bill is precise enough to eliminate such a possibility.
Any sites devoted to distribution of the medicinal marijuana cannot be located within 1,000 feet of a school or youth center. Dispensaries can only provide patients with a 30-day supply at one time.
The bill also sets strict criteria outlining the medical conditions needed to qualify for treatment with marijuana. The condition must be chronic, debilitating, severely painful or a serious medical condition that cannot be treated through other surgical or medical means, according to the bill.
The usefulness of marijuana for medical purposes remains disputed among experts. Marijuana can be used to treat nausea caused by chemotherapy, stimulate appetite in AIDS patients and treat glaucoma, according to the Georgetown University Hospital Web site.
“While the active ingredient in marijuana has been approved as a medication [dronabinol] by the Food and Drug Administration for these purposes, the use of whole marijuana remains very controversial,”according to the Web site.
One student, Ben Mishkin (SFS ’13), thinks that marijuana for medical use should be allowed because of its beneficial effects.
“The government shouldn’t deny people’s right to their health because of some dated notions about drug use,” he said.
