Keystone Cannabis Coalition Statement on SB 1182 We here at the Keystone Cannabis Coalition express both elation and disappointment over the recent passage of the amended version of SB 1182. The original bill was not perfect, however it was deemed acceptable to the vast majority of advocates for medical cannabis and would have helped tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of sick Pennsylvanians. We followed the bill closely from the beginning. Early on we recognized it as a bill that we could support and we did everything in our power to advance it. On March 31 of this year we held the large and successful Keystone Cannabis Reform Rally in the Rotunda of the State Capitol to raise awareness. We were assisted in that rally by Dana Ulrich and Lolly Bentch Myers, two of the fierce “Mama Bears” who spearheaded the movement. In May we stood on the steps of the Rotunda in the State Capitol with state senator Daylin Leach and a dozen Mama Bears and advocates and threatened Governor Corbett with a sit-in if he did not meet with families of the advocates. We held rallies in Lancaster, York and Reading this summer and called attention to the medical cannabis bill, gaining much media coverage. We attended both hearings in the Law and Justice Committee. We attended several town hall meetings, met with our representatives and state senators and attended numerous press conferences, panel discussions, meeting and events. We even approached Lancaster City Council and wrote a resolution in favor of medical cannabis that they then passed, which generated enormous press coverage. In short, we did everything that we could to advance medical cannabis in Pennsylvania and Senate Bill 1182 as we then understood it to be written. We are dismayed by the conditions taken out of the bill. Taking out medical cannabis for those suffering from AIDS was just heartless and cruel for example. Also, we support whole plant cannabis that can either be vaporized or “smoked”. For many, especially those suffering from cancer and the debilitating effects of chemotherapy and other illnesses smoking and/or vaporization is the best method of ingestion. We are remaining somewhat neutral on this bill with subdued support. We do not support it completely but we do not oppose it. If it is passed it will be a step forward but too small of a step. We believe that there is a good chance this bill we die in the House of Representatives without a vote. If it does receive a vote it is likely that it will only occur after the House has amended the bill even further and render a bad bill even more useless. Further amendments that water the bill down even more will arouse our fierce opposition. Tinctures, oils and edibles have their place. Making those products available will help thousands and even tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians, eventually. The list of ailments needs to be expanded though and all forms of the medicine should be available. We believe that the wait will most likely be entirely too long for patients to even receive medical cannabis and urge the quickest possible implementation of any bill that becomes law. The citizens of Pennsylvania know that cannabis is medicine. Medical cannabis consistently polls at between 80-85% support and this has been true for years now. The Pennsylvania State Senate has awoken to this truth, convinced by the advocacy of citizen lobbyist and expert testimony during the Law and Justice Committee hearings. The 43-7 vote was astounding and demonstrated overwhelming support. Unfortunately political posturing on the part of some Republicans forced the bill to be crippled with harmful amendments before it could be voted on. Governor Corbett sets the tone. He has threatened to veto SB 1182 even in it’s severely amended and restricted version as passed. For this reason Corbett has a reason to either keep this bill from ever reaching his desk or, getting a CBD-only bill that he will sign to try to make it look good for his re-election. Representative Mike Turzai can single handedly stop the vote. Or it could get held up in committee by Representative Baker. Or, the time clock could simply run out before it gets done. This is a high stakes game filled with all sorts of political intrigue. No matter what the outcome we can not let Corbett win on November 4th. Keystone Cannabis Coalition wholeheartedly endorses Tom Wolf for Governor of Pennsylvania and urge voters to get registered and make sure they show up to the polls. The reason that we do not condemn or oppose the bill entirely is because we do believe that under a Tom Wolf administration we will get the bill amended to include more conditions and also expand it to include whole plant cannabis, though it will be harder to change it once the bill is passed than to just win with a better more expansive bill. One way or the other the fight continues next year. If the bill fails this year as expected then it will have to be reintroduced next year. If so, then we want to start from scratch again with another well crafted bill. We take it that the bill that will be reintroduced will be even superior to the original SB 1182. We will be stronger next year, hopefully with a new governor and the times will be much more in our favor. If the current version of SB 1182 is passed by miracle in the House of Representatives and then in a cunning move by Corbett, signed, then next year we will fight to perfect the law and also ensure its prompt implementation. This whole past year was a learning experience for Pennsylvania. One year ago it would not have been possible to get as far as we have. Who could have guessed that the Pennsylvania State Senate would vote in favor of ANY medical cannabis bill? The media coverage has been relentless and positive. Rallies all over the place. Editorials in newspapers around the state calling for medical cannabis. Legislators jumping on board and even candidates for governor. We have just gone through an accelerated rate of change, an evolution in understanding. That evolution continues, too slowly for many of us advocates, but at lightning speed on the time continuum. So many positive things have come from this whole movement that it is hard to remain pessimistic even if cynicism does get the best of us sometimes. As our friend Chris Goldstein from Philly NORML reminds us, nothing is positive until patients get their cannabis. We agree. We are getting there but far too slowly. We look on the bright side and remain optimistic even as we remain hard headed realists. We are committed to the fight for as long as it takes and will continue to do all that we can to advance the cause of full access to medical cannabis in Pennsylvania while hastening the day when the national prohibition of cannabis and hemp falls. We also realize that until the root cause of prohibition is addressed it will be hard for people to obtain their legal medical cannabis. For this reason we recommend immediate statewide decriminalization as an interim policy as we work towards full legalization. keystonecannabiscoalition.org/2014/09/statement-sb-1182/
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:40:43 +0000