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Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
For Immediate Release: February 8, 2011
Veteran legislator files bill to allow use of medical marijuana
with doctor’s recommendation
Support is growing in Oklahoma and nationwide to legalize
medical marijuana, and Sen. Constance
N. Johnson has once again filed legislation to allow for the
use of medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. Senate
Bill 573 would create the “Compassionate Use Act of 2011”.
“Presently, fifteen states and the District of Columbia have
passed laws to protect those who are sick and terminally ill from
prosecution for using medical marijuana,” said Johnson, D-Oklahoma
County. “In Oklahoma, however, these patients face the possibility
of being locked up in the state’s budget busting and already
overcrowded corrections system. It seems inhumane to deny patients
access to an alternative medicine that is proven to help ease pain
and suffering.”
SB 573 would allow medical doctors to prescribe marijuana for a
variety of medical conditions, including cancer, osteoarthritis,
and Parkinson’s disease. Under the proposal, it would be legal
for a patient to possess or cultivate marijuana for personal medical
purposes with a written or oral recommendation or approval by a
physician. Neither the patient nor doctor could be charged with
any crime relating to possession or cultivation of marijuana.
Johnson has introduced legislation on legalizing medical marijuana
since 2006. She cites increasing advocacy in Oklahoma for medicinal
uses of marijuana, the substantial impact on the state’s budget
of incarceration of non-violent, addicted offenders for crimes such
as possession of marijuana; and the growing profits of drug cartels
based on illegal market sales as reasons for her continued support
of this issue.
She admits that her bill is not perfect in its present form but
contends if allowed a hearing by the chairman of the Senate Health
and Human Services committee, she will introduce a committee substitute
which further fine tunes the proposal.
“This is a step in the right direction. My office has been
inundated with letters, emails and calls this past year supporting
the approval of medical marijuana. This is a legitimate concern
in our state and it’s time that we listen to our citizens
and have a discussion about this important issue,” said Johnson.
“People who are sick or dying and are consulting with their
doctors should, at a minimum, have the liberty to access the medicine
that will best serve their unique situations. Who are we to deprive
them of that?”
She pointed out that supporters have also created a Facebook page
called “I Support SB 573: Medical Marijuana in Oklahoma.”
Within its first 24 hours, over 100 supporters had signed on to
the site.
For more information contact:
Senator Johnson: (405) 521-5531
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