05.21.09
Legislation seeks to legalize medical marijuana in Pennsylvania
As part of the ongoing controversy, Pennsylvania is now among the states seeking to approve Medical Marijuana use. Pennsylvania politician Mark Cohen of Philadelphia recently introduced a piece of legislation that would allow small amounts of marijuana to be legally purchased and used for medical purposes.
The timesonline.com reported in an article that: “he (Cohen) introduced the bill because it seemed, after talking to people, that marijuana had a legitimate use in easing the pain and suffering of patients diagnosed with life-threatening or painful illnesses.” They also reported that the issue may take special precedence for Cohen as his own father passed away four years ago from disease and glaucoma, both of which may have been treated with medical marijuana.
Nonetheless, many legislators across the US agree that the medical marijuana issue can be a slippery slope. Take California for example. Originally, the state passed legislation for medical marijuana, and within just a few years of its approval and implementation, marijuana was being considered for general legalization as it could be an easy way to collect more state taxes.
