The race is on and it looks as if Missouri might be the 15th state to legalize marijuana! Recently New Jersey passed marijuana legislation making it the 14th state in the nation allowing doctors to recommend marijuana for medical use. The Missouri bill was read for the second time on Tuesday and hasn’t yet been assigned to a committee.
A house republican, family physician Rep. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, is one of the fifteen co-sponsors of the bill. Authors of the legislation are seeking to change laws regarding the classification of marijuana as a controlled substance and allow its use as medicine. Schaaf is also a member of the House’s Health Care Policy Committee.
“We owe it to our terminally ill patients to provide the most effective treatment,” said Schaaf.
Rep. Kate Meiners, D-Jackson County, is also sponsoring the bill. Last year, Meiners submitted the bill but it didn’t progress very far as it was effectively killed by not receiving a committee hearing. If the bill does pass, this time around, the issue will go before Missouri voters in November of 2011.
Nice that the Republicans are starting to notice what an asset it is to be for cannabis reform these days.
If Republicans are truly about personal freedom and responsibility, then they should be for cannabis law reform.
That’s Great News for the Show Me State. I am always reaDy