PA Laywers group to support Marijuana

, legislation to enact a regulated medical marijuana program in PA.

In a letter written to Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana (PA4MMJ) and the bill’s sponsor Rep. Mark B. Cohen, the NLG stated, “We pledge our support to this important health care initiative. This proposal would allow seriously ill patients who find relief from marijuana to use it with their doctor’s approval.” Read full pdf

Many legal groups including the ACLU and associations of criminal defense attorneys have shown active support for modernizing state laws allowing citizens to use therapeutic cannabis; as is already the case in thirteen states.

HB1393 was introduced on April 29th in Harrisburg and would allow for home cultivation of up to six plants, possession of up to one ounce of medical cannabis and the creation of a registry card system overseen by the Department of Health. The bill even outlines program regisatration fees and potential tax revenue from medical marijuana sold at Compassion Centers in the Commonwealth.

Derek Rosenzweig a coordinator of PA4MMJ said, "It's wonderful to have such a prestigious group endorse the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. Attorneys see firsthand how the law affects the lives of patients who get arrested for their use of medical marijuana, and the NLG should be praised for speaking out about the need to protect patients who use medical marijuana from arrest.”

Support has been building for the medical cannabis bill in Pennsylvania. There have been added co-sponsors, generous media overage and the issue is treated with great seriousness by legislators overall. The NLG has a membership of self-proclaimed progressive civil rights attorneys, many of whom volunteer to be legal observers for protests and civil disobedience actions. The group rarely takes a stand on legislation.

Said Rosenzweig. “Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana is glad to have them on our side."

PA4MMJ asks that PA residents contact their legislators and the members of the House Health and Human Services Committee right away. Click Here to Contact

More information about the bill and medical marijuana in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is available at www.pa4mmj.org or Rep. Mark B. Cohen’s medical cannabis page http://www.pahouse.com/Cohen/med_marijuana_info.asp

Please contact PA4MMJ spokesman Chris Goldstein media@phillynorml.org for any immediate media inquiries.