burnin1
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From marijuana.com
Sen. Harry Reid Has Seen The Benefits Of Medical Marijuana
Senator Reid
By Tom Angell
The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate says he has personally seen how cannabis can help provide relief for people suffering from serious illnesses.
I am a total believer in medical marijuana, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), said in an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journals editorial board on Tuesday.
The Senate minority leader told the assembled writers that hes from the old school and was long opposed to any kind of marijuana because he believed it led to heroin and all that bad stuff.
But he had rude awakening after seeing how medical marijuana benefited a family friend.
The young man, whom Reid did not name but said was the son of a county commissioner in Nevada, suffered several kidney failures.
He was so sick, the retiring senator said. And finally one of his friends came to his mom and said, You know, I think what we need to do is he needs marijuana, because hes not eating anything. Hes starving to death.'
The senator added that while the man ended up dying, medical cannabis at least gave him some comfort in his final days.
For those people who have smoked marijuana before, theres something, you get the munchies. You get ravenously hungry, he said. And sure enough, marijuana prolonged his life. He died, but he had a decent life for a little while.
Declaring himself sold on the medicinal use of marijuana, Reid said the plant is responsible for a bunch of miracles, with epilepsy and other things.
But that doesnt mean the 76-year-old is ready for broader cannabis policy changes. Asked whether he supports the full legalization measure that will appear before Nevadas voters in November, he said, Im not sure that recreational marijuana, were ready for that yet. Thats how I feel, unless somebody convinces me to the contrary, thats how I feel.
It is the second time in a week that Reid has been asked by journalists about the ballot measure.
Last Tuesday, he told reporters at a press conference that hes very, very dubious and concerned about the proposal.
While saying that he is 100 percent for medical cannabis, hes not yet sold on the initiative.
If I had to vote on it now, I wouldnt vote for it, he said. Thats something we need to look at quite a bit longer. I think its something that we have to be very careful with People better start making a case to me. They havent done it yet.
In 2014, Reid voiced concerns about the resources put into enforcing cannabis criminalization laws.
I guarantee you one thing, he said at the time. We waste a lot of time and law enforcement going after these guys that are smoking marijuana.
In this weeks Gazette-Journal editorial board appearance, Reid said that Nevadas congressional delegation should take voters decision on the ballot initiative into account when determining whether to support federal policy change, but that it shouldnt necessarily dictate the outcome.
I think they should take that into consideration, but youre still elected to do what you think is right, he said. People in the state of Nevada passed the marriage amendment, people who are gay cant marry. I voted against that amendment. I did the right thing, in my estimation. So everybody has to make their own decision.
Reid is a co-sponsor of Senate legislation that would allow state-legal marijuana businesses to have access to banks.
http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/...d-has-seen-the-benefits-of-medical-marijuana/
Sen. Harry Reid Has Seen The Benefits Of Medical Marijuana
Senator Reid
By Tom Angell
The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate says he has personally seen how cannabis can help provide relief for people suffering from serious illnesses.
I am a total believer in medical marijuana, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), said in an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journals editorial board on Tuesday.
The Senate minority leader told the assembled writers that hes from the old school and was long opposed to any kind of marijuana because he believed it led to heroin and all that bad stuff.
But he had rude awakening after seeing how medical marijuana benefited a family friend.
The young man, whom Reid did not name but said was the son of a county commissioner in Nevada, suffered several kidney failures.
He was so sick, the retiring senator said. And finally one of his friends came to his mom and said, You know, I think what we need to do is he needs marijuana, because hes not eating anything. Hes starving to death.'
The senator added that while the man ended up dying, medical cannabis at least gave him some comfort in his final days.
For those people who have smoked marijuana before, theres something, you get the munchies. You get ravenously hungry, he said. And sure enough, marijuana prolonged his life. He died, but he had a decent life for a little while.
Declaring himself sold on the medicinal use of marijuana, Reid said the plant is responsible for a bunch of miracles, with epilepsy and other things.
But that doesnt mean the 76-year-old is ready for broader cannabis policy changes. Asked whether he supports the full legalization measure that will appear before Nevadas voters in November, he said, Im not sure that recreational marijuana, were ready for that yet. Thats how I feel, unless somebody convinces me to the contrary, thats how I feel.
It is the second time in a week that Reid has been asked by journalists about the ballot measure.
Last Tuesday, he told reporters at a press conference that hes very, very dubious and concerned about the proposal.
While saying that he is 100 percent for medical cannabis, hes not yet sold on the initiative.
If I had to vote on it now, I wouldnt vote for it, he said. Thats something we need to look at quite a bit longer. I think its something that we have to be very careful with People better start making a case to me. They havent done it yet.
In 2014, Reid voiced concerns about the resources put into enforcing cannabis criminalization laws.
I guarantee you one thing, he said at the time. We waste a lot of time and law enforcement going after these guys that are smoking marijuana.
In this weeks Gazette-Journal editorial board appearance, Reid said that Nevadas congressional delegation should take voters decision on the ballot initiative into account when determining whether to support federal policy change, but that it shouldnt necessarily dictate the outcome.
I think they should take that into consideration, but youre still elected to do what you think is right, he said. People in the state of Nevada passed the marriage amendment, people who are gay cant marry. I voted against that amendment. I did the right thing, in my estimation. So everybody has to make their own decision.
Reid is a co-sponsor of Senate legislation that would allow state-legal marijuana businesses to have access to banks.
http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/...d-has-seen-the-benefits-of-medical-marijuana/
