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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Let Doctors Decide medical marijuana bill passes State Senate
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Let Doctors Decide medical marij
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Date: February 06, 2018 05:48PM
Let Doctors Decide medical marijuana bill passes State Senate
https://augustafreepress.com/let-doctors-decide-medical-marijuana-bill-passes-state-senate/
Today the Virginia Senate voted unanimously to pass the Joint Commission on Healthcare bill SB 726, which will let Virginia doctors recommend the use of cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil for the treatment of any diagnosed condition or disease.
This comes on the heels of Friday’s unanimous passing of the companion bill, HB 1251, in the Virginia House of Delegates.
“I finally decided that I needed to advocate for the physicians being the decision makers,” said Senator Siobhan Dunnavant (R-12), the chief patron of the Senate bill. “We, physicians, are the ones that follow the literature and know which treatments are best for different conditions. The literature on medical cannabis is going to be evolving rapidly now, and because of this, it is not a decision that should be in the hands of the legislature. Instead, it should be with physicians.”
Regular Virginians suffering from a variety of conditions — including cancer, Crohn’s disease, and PTSD — have lobbied passionately for this reform.
“Honestly, until this week, I’ve always thought of it helping my patients that have breast cancer, especially the young ones that have children and have so many things to get done but feel so terrible as they go through chemotherapy,” said Senator Dunnavant, a doctor. “After this week, I won’t be able to forget Tamra Netzel, the patient and my constituent with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that testified on behalf of this bill in committee. My niece also has MS and having the opportunity to help others in similar situations means a lot to me.”
The chief patron of the house bill is Delegate Benjamin L. Cline (R-24).
“CBD/THC-A oil has been proven to effectively and safely help patients address symptoms of intractable epilepsy and manage pain,” said Delegate Cline. “By expanding the ability to recommend CBD/THC-A oil, we are giving doctors the freedom to make a recommendation based on the most up to date research and data, just as they do for any other medication they prescribe.”
Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML and a two-time cancer survivor herself, believes these bills will give countless suffering Virginians a chance to safely heal — right here in their home Commonwealth.
“All Virginians deserve access to safe, regulated medical cannabis,” said Pedini. “These bills will ensure that Virginians have the ability to stay here at home with their families, with their support networks and not be forced to move to another state in the middle of a healthcare crisis to seek medical cannabis therapies.”
As the Commonwealth struggles with a worsening opioid crisis, this legislation offers a glimmer of hope.
“Medical cannabis laws have demonstrated significant impact on the opiate crisis,” said Pedini. “States with such laws see on average a 25% reduction in opioid fatalities. We are losing three Virginians every day to opioid overdose. It’s time to give doctors in the Commonwealth the ability to utilize this powerful tool in mitigating addiction and overdose.”
Since the bills are identical, from here the steps are largely procedural: the bills will “crossover” to the opposite house for a vote, before heading to Governor Northam’s desk for signature.
Governor Ralph Northam, also a doctor, is already on record in support of Let Doctors Decide medical marijuana laws in the Commonwealth. Passage of this historic legislation would make Virginia the first state with a hyper-restrictive program to adopt such a broad expansion.
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VIRGINIA Senate unanimously approves medical marijuana bill
http://www.nbc12.com/story/37440574/senate-unanimously-approves-medical-marijuana-bill
RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) -
A bill that would allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana has unanimously passed the Senate.
The bill, SB 726, which allows a practitioner let a patient use cannabidiol oil or THC-A to alleviate symptoms of any diagnosed condition or disease, passed the Senate on Monday 40-0.
This comes three days after its companion bill, HB 1251, was passed, also unanimously, in the House of Delegates.
Right now, Virginians can use cannabis oil for severe epilepsy.
The bill now goes to Governor Northam, who has said he supports expanding the legal use of medical marijuana.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia senate approves medical marijuana
http://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2018/02/virginia-senate-approves-medical-marijuana.php
[JURIST] Virginia's Senate approved legislation on Monday allowing doctors to prescribe oils containing mostly non-psychoactive cannabis extracts, making Virginia part of the majority of states to approve medical marijuana.
The bill [text, PDF] was approved unanimously in both the state house and senate. Under the legislation, Virginia's doctors will determine which patients may use medical marijuana, as long as they have "any diagnosed condition or disease determined by the practitioner to benefit from such use."
The bill expands on the 2015 Virginia law [JURIST report] that legalized an affirmative defense to possession for those suffering from epilepsy, as long as they obtain permission from their doctors to use cannabis oils.
The 2018 law classifies two types of prescriptions: Cannabidiol (CBD) oil, or THC-A oil. CBD oil must contain at least 15 percent CBD but allows for up to 5 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana. THC-A oil must contain at least 15percent of tetrahydrocannabinol-acid, a non-psychoactive chemical, and no more than 5 percent THC.
The Virginia Board of Medicine will be in charge of implementing the registration system for the program.
The bill now goes to Governor Ralph Northam, who has expressed his support.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia senate unanimously passes medical marijuana bill
http://wtkr.com/2018/02/06/virginia-senate-unanimously-passes-medical-marijuana-bill/
The Virginia state Senate unanimously passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana in the Commonwealth on Monday, WDBJ reports.
The Joint Commission on Health Care bill SB 726 will let doctors in Virginia use cannabis oil to treat any diagnosed condition or disease with a written certification.
Currently, the law allows Virginians to use cannabis oil only for the treatment of severe epilepsy.
The bill will go to Governor Ralph Northam, who has said he supports expanding the use of legal marijuana.
1979 medical regulation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Virginia#1979_medical_regulation
In 1979, Virginia passed legislation allowing doctors to recommend cannabis for glaucoma or the side effects of chemotherapy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Virginia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.facebook.com/vanorml
https://www.facebook.com/novanorml
http://www.vanorml.org
Marijuana-related bills in the 2018 Virginia General Assembly
The following marijuana-related bills have been filed for the 2018 Virginia General Assembly legislative session. This page will be updated regularly. Click the bill title for the complete text and additional information. Questions? Contact Virginia NORML at director@virginianorml.org or 804-464-7050 M-F 9-6.
http://www.vanorml.org/2018_legislation
TAKE ACTION
http://www.vanorml.org/act
Virginia Action Alerts:
URGENT: Expand Patient Access to Medical Cannabis: Let Doctors Decide
http://norml.org/action-center/item/virginianorml-let-doctors-decide
Virginia: Expand State’s Medical Cannabis Law
http://norml.org/action-center/item/virginianorml-let-doctors-decide
Federal Priorities:
Priority: Tell Congress to Reject Jeff Session's Reversal of the Cole Memo
http://norml.org/action-center/item/jeff-sessions-is-targeting-the-cannabis-community-it-s-time-for-congress-to-step-in
MJ Justice: The Marijuana Justice Act of 2017 Introduced
http://norml.org/action-center/item/the-marijuana-justice-act-of-2017-introduced
Caucus: Tell Your Congressional Representative: Join the Cannabis Caucus
http://norml.org/action-center/item/tell-your-congressional-representative-join-the-cannabis-caucus
Jeff Sessions Is Targeting Marijuana – It’s Time For Congress To Step In
http://norml.org/action-center/item/jeff-sessions-is-targeting-the-cannabis-community-it-s-time-for-congress-to-step-in
Protect Our Progress: Bipartisan Leaders Reintroduce the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act
http://norml.org/action-center/item/federal-bipartisan-leaders-reintroduce-the-respect-state-marijuana-laws-act
Timely (Budget Process): Tell Your Elected Officials To Protect Lawful Medical Marijuana Programs From Attorney General Jeff Sessions
http://norml.org/action-center/item/federal-protect-lawful-medical-marijuana-programs
https://augustafreepress.com/let-doctors-decide-medical-marijuana-bill-passes-state-senate/
Today the Virginia Senate voted unanimously to pass the Joint Commission on Healthcare bill SB 726, which will let Virginia doctors recommend the use of cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil for the treatment of any diagnosed condition or disease.
This comes on the heels of Friday’s unanimous passing of the companion bill, HB 1251, in the Virginia House of Delegates.
“I finally decided that I needed to advocate for the physicians being the decision makers,” said Senator Siobhan Dunnavant (R-12), the chief patron of the Senate bill. “We, physicians, are the ones that follow the literature and know which treatments are best for different conditions. The literature on medical cannabis is going to be evolving rapidly now, and because of this, it is not a decision that should be in the hands of the legislature. Instead, it should be with physicians.”
Regular Virginians suffering from a variety of conditions — including cancer, Crohn’s disease, and PTSD — have lobbied passionately for this reform.
“Honestly, until this week, I’ve always thought of it helping my patients that have breast cancer, especially the young ones that have children and have so many things to get done but feel so terrible as they go through chemotherapy,” said Senator Dunnavant, a doctor. “After this week, I won’t be able to forget Tamra Netzel, the patient and my constituent with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that testified on behalf of this bill in committee. My niece also has MS and having the opportunity to help others in similar situations means a lot to me.”
The chief patron of the house bill is Delegate Benjamin L. Cline (R-24).
“CBD/THC-A oil has been proven to effectively and safely help patients address symptoms of intractable epilepsy and manage pain,” said Delegate Cline. “By expanding the ability to recommend CBD/THC-A oil, we are giving doctors the freedom to make a recommendation based on the most up to date research and data, just as they do for any other medication they prescribe.”
Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML and a two-time cancer survivor herself, believes these bills will give countless suffering Virginians a chance to safely heal — right here in their home Commonwealth.
“All Virginians deserve access to safe, regulated medical cannabis,” said Pedini. “These bills will ensure that Virginians have the ability to stay here at home with their families, with their support networks and not be forced to move to another state in the middle of a healthcare crisis to seek medical cannabis therapies.”
As the Commonwealth struggles with a worsening opioid crisis, this legislation offers a glimmer of hope.
“Medical cannabis laws have demonstrated significant impact on the opiate crisis,” said Pedini. “States with such laws see on average a 25% reduction in opioid fatalities. We are losing three Virginians every day to opioid overdose. It’s time to give doctors in the Commonwealth the ability to utilize this powerful tool in mitigating addiction and overdose.”
Since the bills are identical, from here the steps are largely procedural: the bills will “crossover” to the opposite house for a vote, before heading to Governor Northam’s desk for signature.
Governor Ralph Northam, also a doctor, is already on record in support of Let Doctors Decide medical marijuana laws in the Commonwealth. Passage of this historic legislation would make Virginia the first state with a hyper-restrictive program to adopt such a broad expansion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIRGINIA Senate unanimously approves medical marijuana bill
http://www.nbc12.com/story/37440574/senate-unanimously-approves-medical-marijuana-bill
RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) -
A bill that would allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana has unanimously passed the Senate.
The bill, SB 726, which allows a practitioner let a patient use cannabidiol oil or THC-A to alleviate symptoms of any diagnosed condition or disease, passed the Senate on Monday 40-0.
This comes three days after its companion bill, HB 1251, was passed, also unanimously, in the House of Delegates.
Right now, Virginians can use cannabis oil for severe epilepsy.
The bill now goes to Governor Northam, who has said he supports expanding the legal use of medical marijuana.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia senate approves medical marijuana
http://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2018/02/virginia-senate-approves-medical-marijuana.php
[JURIST] Virginia's Senate approved legislation on Monday allowing doctors to prescribe oils containing mostly non-psychoactive cannabis extracts, making Virginia part of the majority of states to approve medical marijuana.
The bill [text, PDF] was approved unanimously in both the state house and senate. Under the legislation, Virginia's doctors will determine which patients may use medical marijuana, as long as they have "any diagnosed condition or disease determined by the practitioner to benefit from such use."
The bill expands on the 2015 Virginia law [JURIST report] that legalized an affirmative defense to possession for those suffering from epilepsy, as long as they obtain permission from their doctors to use cannabis oils.
The 2018 law classifies two types of prescriptions: Cannabidiol (CBD) oil, or THC-A oil. CBD oil must contain at least 15 percent CBD but allows for up to 5 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana. THC-A oil must contain at least 15percent of tetrahydrocannabinol-acid, a non-psychoactive chemical, and no more than 5 percent THC.
The Virginia Board of Medicine will be in charge of implementing the registration system for the program.
The bill now goes to Governor Ralph Northam, who has expressed his support.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia senate unanimously passes medical marijuana bill
http://wtkr.com/2018/02/06/virginia-senate-unanimously-passes-medical-marijuana-bill/
The Virginia state Senate unanimously passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana in the Commonwealth on Monday, WDBJ reports.
The Joint Commission on Health Care bill SB 726 will let doctors in Virginia use cannabis oil to treat any diagnosed condition or disease with a written certification.
Currently, the law allows Virginians to use cannabis oil only for the treatment of severe epilepsy.
The bill will go to Governor Ralph Northam, who has said he supports expanding the use of legal marijuana.
1979 medical regulation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Virginia#1979_medical_regulation
In 1979, Virginia passed legislation allowing doctors to recommend cannabis for glaucoma or the side effects of chemotherapy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Virginia
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.facebook.com/vanorml
https://www.facebook.com/novanorml
http://www.vanorml.org
Marijuana-related bills in the 2018 Virginia General Assembly
The following marijuana-related bills have been filed for the 2018 Virginia General Assembly legislative session. This page will be updated regularly. Click the bill title for the complete text and additional information. Questions? Contact Virginia NORML at director@virginianorml.org or 804-464-7050 M-F 9-6.
http://www.vanorml.org/2018_legislation
TAKE ACTION
http://www.vanorml.org/act
Virginia Action Alerts:
URGENT: Expand Patient Access to Medical Cannabis: Let Doctors Decide
http://norml.org/action-center/item/virginianorml-let-doctors-decide
Virginia: Expand State’s Medical Cannabis Law
http://norml.org/action-center/item/virginianorml-let-doctors-decide
Federal Priorities:
Priority: Tell Congress to Reject Jeff Session's Reversal of the Cole Memo
http://norml.org/action-center/item/jeff-sessions-is-targeting-the-cannabis-community-it-s-time-for-congress-to-step-in
MJ Justice: The Marijuana Justice Act of 2017 Introduced
http://norml.org/action-center/item/the-marijuana-justice-act-of-2017-introduced
Caucus: Tell Your Congressional Representative: Join the Cannabis Caucus
http://norml.org/action-center/item/tell-your-congressional-representative-join-the-cannabis-caucus
Jeff Sessions Is Targeting Marijuana – It’s Time For Congress To Step In
http://norml.org/action-center/item/jeff-sessions-is-targeting-the-cannabis-community-it-s-time-for-congress-to-step-in
Protect Our Progress: Bipartisan Leaders Reintroduce the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act
http://norml.org/action-center/item/federal-bipartisan-leaders-reintroduce-the-respect-state-marijuana-laws-act
Timely (Budget Process): Tell Your Elected Officials To Protect Lawful Medical Marijuana Programs From Attorney General Jeff Sessions
http://norml.org/action-center/item/federal-protect-lawful-medical-marijuana-programs