The House Health & Welfare Committee decided this morning to introduce a new, very restrictive law to legalize medical marijuana in Idaho with just one no vote. This paves the way for a full hearing on the proposal by Reps Mike Kingsley, R-Lewiston, and Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, entitled “Sgt. Kitzhaber Medical Cannabis Act. “Sgt. Jeremy Kitzhaber, a US Air Force veteran suffering from terminal cancer who lost his own father on Friday, gave a personal testimony of his experience and the bill he had drafted with the idea, strictly regulated Allowing medical use of cannabis in Idaho for certain types of very sick adult patients – rather than opening the door to recreational use.
The members of the committee were clearly moved by Kitzhaber’s testimony, along with that of Dr. Dan Zuckerman, St. Luke’s Cancer Institute medical director and practicing medical oncologist, said three-quarters of oncologists across the country support the availability of medical marijuana to their patients. to relieve her pain and the devastating side effects of her chemotherapy. Idaho patients can’t get this now; Idaho law makes all cannabis use strictly illegal. This means that these patients are prescribed opioids that are addictive and have serious side effects of their own.
Rep. John Vander Woude said: “I came here very suspiciously and it was a great presentation.” He said he still had questions about the tax bill on the bill, which would increase the state general fund by $ 33 million from 6% sales tax on medical cannabis and another $ 11 million from a 2% excise tax on it operate and enforce the new program.
Rubel said this was calculated by legislative budget analysts who examined the 22 states that currently approve the use of marijuana and Idaho sales tax rates for medical purposes only. It could be high, she said, because it expects the maximum number of medical pharmacies selling the drug, 28, to open, but the State Board of Pharmacy could go with a lower number.
Vander Woude eventually voted in favor of the bill, as did every committee member except Rep. Marco Erickson, R-Idaho Falls.
Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, the chairman of the committee said it would be good to have the full analysis to hand over to the committee: “So that we can actually see, there will at least be enough money there to do that fund program with no general fund dollars. … Because people will worry about it. “
Rubel said she didn’t expect to see legislation on the matter this year until she met Kitzhaber. “He’s been working on it for years,” she told the committee. “I think it’s overdue.”
Kingsley told the panel, “This is exciting, it really is. It’s something that has been needed for a long time. I have friends in Lewiston who say, “Mike, I’ve crossed the line and I feel like a criminal.”
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Kingsley has long been concerned about the Idaho opioid crisis and believes this bill would help by providing doctors with a less dangerous alternative drug to prescribe their critically ill patients.
Under the bill, to be assigned an invoice number later today, the Board of Pharmacy would oversee the registration of new medical cannabis dispensaries and the Department of Health & Welfare would oversee the issuance of medical cannabis cards to qualified patients. Medically regulated cannabis would move from an illegal List I drug in Idaho to a List II drug that is only available on prescription in strictly limited and packaged quantities for patients 21 years and older with certain specific diagnoses, including cancer, ALS, AIDS, wasting syndrome , is available. Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, debilitating seizures, and incurable diseases. Most patients could only be prescribed up to 2 grams of THC per month; People with cancer or an incurable disease could be prescribed up to 10 grams per month. Cannabis cultivation or production would not be permitted in Idaho.
Rep. Greg Ferch, R-Boise, asked Kitzhaber why he wouldn’t just cross the state line into Oregon to get cannabis instead of all the hassle and expense of the measures outlined in the bill. Kitzhaber replied that “being a law abiding citizen” would risk jail for him and it was something he just wouldn’t do.
Marc Gibbs Rep., R-Grace, who moved to introduce the bill, said, “This is an issue we have spoken about a lot in the building over the past four or five years. I think the time has come to at least introduce this legislation. … I think if lawmakers don’t act on this in the near future, the citizens of Idaho will respond for us. “
Rubel said if passed, the Idaho bill would give it the most restrictive medical marijuana law in the nation. “We’re not kidding that this is not an uphill fight,” she said, “but I think it’s a fight that is worth it.”
Betsy Z. Russell is the Boise Chief Executive and State Capital Reporter for the Idaho Press and Adams Publishing Group. Follow her on Twitter at @BetsyZRussell.