Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Blocked by Rep. Matt Baker
- by: Steve Koval
- recipient: Pennsylvania Rep. Matt Baker
"HARRISBURG, PA — A bill decisively passed by the Pennsylvania Senate to allow medical marijuana in the state could be stalled indefinitely if a key lawmaker in the House has his way. Rep. Matt Baker (R-Tioga County), Chair of the House Health Committee, said Friday that he has no intentions of allowing his committee to take up the Senate’s medical marijuana bill — or any other bill to allow marijuana for medical purposes.
Unfortunately for those Pennsylvanians suffering from cancer, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, or a dozen other qualifying conditions, the Senate approved medical marijuana bill, Senate Bill 3 has been assigned to Rep. Baker’s committee in the Pennsylvania House, where a similar bill died last year after also receiving Senate approval
Senate Bill 3, bipartisan legislation spearheaded by Senators Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery County) and Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon County), was decisively passed on Tuesday by the Senate by a 40-7 vote. The bill would have created a comprehensive, tightly regulated medical marijuana program in the state.
Despite overwhelming support from both the Pennsylvania Senate and high polling among Pennsyvania voters — polls show legalizing medical marijuana has the support of upwards of 88% of Keystone State voters — it seems that Rep. Matt Baker may single handedly prevented access to medical marijuana for his constituents.
The proposed bill would limit the use of medical marijuana to patients suffering from 15 specific conditions: cancer; epilepsy and seizures; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); cachexia/wasting syndrome; Parkinson’s disease; traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-concussion syndrome; multiple sclerosis; spinocerebellara ataxia (SCA); post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); severe fibromyalgia; HIV/AIDS; glaucoma; Chron’s disease; diabetes; and chronic pain “where other methods of treatment no longer have therapeutic or palliative benefit.”
Public campaign finance records show significant contributions from pharmaceutical companies that could potentially profit from the continued prohibition of plant-derived medicine. Most of the pharmaceutical companies that contributed to Baker’s election campaigns manufacture or market drugs that treat conditions that would be eligible for the medical marijuana program proposed in Senate Bill 3. When breaking down campaign contributions by industry, the pharmaceutical and healthcare product industry made up the largest percentage of reported contributions, totaling $32,800. When looking at individual contributions, Baker received several notable campaign contributions from pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies and drug wholesalers, totaling over $37,000:For Pennsylvania residents wishing to contact Rep. Baker, his official contact information is as follows: Capitol Office
213 Ryan Office Building
PO Box 202068
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2068
Phone: 717-772-5371
Fax: 717-705-1850
TTY: 855-282-0614" - courtesy of The Daily Chronic
Sign PetitionSign PetitionUnfortunately for those Pennsylvanians suffering from cancer, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, or a dozen other qualifying conditions, the Senate approved medical marijuana bill, Senate Bill 3 has been assigned to Rep. Baker’s committee in the Pennsylvania House, where a similar bill died last year after also receiving Senate approval
Senate Bill 3, bipartisan legislation spearheaded by Senators Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery County) and Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon County), was decisively passed on Tuesday by the Senate by a 40-7 vote. The bill would have created a comprehensive, tightly regulated medical marijuana program in the state.
Despite overwhelming support from both the Pennsylvania Senate and high polling among Pennsyvania voters — polls show legalizing medical marijuana has the support of upwards of 88% of Keystone State voters — it seems that Rep. Matt Baker may single handedly prevented access to medical marijuana for his constituents.
The proposed bill would limit the use of medical marijuana to patients suffering from 15 specific conditions: cancer; epilepsy and seizures; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); cachexia/wasting syndrome; Parkinson’s disease; traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-concussion syndrome; multiple sclerosis; spinocerebellara ataxia (SCA); post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); severe fibromyalgia; HIV/AIDS; glaucoma; Chron’s disease; diabetes; and chronic pain “where other methods of treatment no longer have therapeutic or palliative benefit.”
Public campaign finance records show significant contributions from pharmaceutical companies that could potentially profit from the continued prohibition of plant-derived medicine. Most of the pharmaceutical companies that contributed to Baker’s election campaigns manufacture or market drugs that treat conditions that would be eligible for the medical marijuana program proposed in Senate Bill 3. When breaking down campaign contributions by industry, the pharmaceutical and healthcare product industry made up the largest percentage of reported contributions, totaling $32,800. When looking at individual contributions, Baker received several notable campaign contributions from pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies and drug wholesalers, totaling over $37,000:For Pennsylvania residents wishing to contact Rep. Baker, his official contact information is as follows: Capitol Office
213 Ryan Office Building
PO Box 202068
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2068
Phone: 717-772-5371
Fax: 717-705-1850
TTY: 855-282-0614" - courtesy of The Daily Chronic
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