From: Jim Rosenfield <jnr@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
Date: 04 Dec 93 00:52 PST
Subject: CA Med MJ Res Text
Message-ID: <1484000415@cdp>

This bill pased both houses of the California legislature
a few weeks ago:

                    Senate Joint Resolution No. 8



                       RESOLUTION CHAPTER 70


     Senate Joint Resolution Relative to cannabis/marijuana

         Filed with Secretary of State September 2, 1993.;

                  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SJR 8, Mello: Controlled substances cannabis/marijuana
  This measure would memorialize the President and the Congress
of the United States to enact appropriate legislation to permit
cannabis/marijuana to be prescribed by licensed physicians and to
ensure a safe and affordable supply of cannabis/marijuana for
medical use


  WHEREAS, Scientific and medical studies by the National Academy
of Science have shown cannabis/marijuana to be a safe and
effective medicine with very low toxicity compared to most
prescription drugs and it has been shown to be effective in the
treatment of glaucoma, epilepsy, muscle spasticity, arthritis,
the nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss associated with
chemotherapies;anxiety and depression and the symptoms of
withdrawal from alcohol and narcotics and
  WHEREAS studies show that one-third of all cancer patient
discontinue potentially life-saving chemotherapy due to the
severe and debilitating side effects and the same is true for
many AIDS patients receiving AZT or other (sinlilal- ) therapies
and
  WHEREAS, Most physicians surveyed said that they would
prescribe cannabis/marijuana if legally available, and one-half
of all cancer specialists surveyed said that they have already
encouraged at least one of their patients to break the law and
use cannabis/marijuana to ease the violent nausea and vomiting
associated with their current treatments and
  WHEREAS, In May of 1991, the United Nations Narcotic Control
Board voted overwhelmingly to reclassify cannabis/marijuana,
placing it back on Schedule II, and making it availabIe by
prescription, and, the United States representative to this board
voted in favor of the rescheduling and
  WHEREAS, Despite a federal court order recognizing the "clearly
established medical valuc" of cannabis/marijuana, and mandating
that it be reclassified to Schedule II and made available by
prescription, the federal government continues to deny access to
this safe and effective medicine and
  WHEREAS, By its own admission, the federal government continues
to deny access to cannabis/marijualla for political rather than
medical reasons, and are using patients as pawns in the ever-
escalating war on drugs by following current policies which place
message before medicine, convenience before compassion,and
politics before patients now, therefore, be it
  Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of
California,jointly, That the Legislature of the State of
California respectfully memorializes the President and the
Congress of the United States to enact appropriate legislation to
permit cannabis/marijuana to be prescribed by licensed physicians
and to ensure a safe and affordable supply of cannabis/marijuana
for medical use; and be it further
  Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to
each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress
of the United States.