Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to ban synthetic marijuana used in cancer, AIDS and MS treatment research

Here’s another legislator afflicted with a crippling infestation of ignorance and stupidity when it comes to drugs. Pennsylvania State Rep. Jennifer Mann (D) has introduced a bill intended to criminalize several synthetic cannabinoid compounds (ie. artificial marijuana) and to ban their use in medical research for treatments for such serious diseases as cancer, AIDS, MS, and other pain-causing illnesses:

H.B. 176, recently introduced by state Rep. Jennifer Mann, is scheduled to be considered at the House Judiciary Committee meeting on Tuesday, September 21st, 2010. This bill would criminalize 5 synthetic cannabinoid compounds that are being researched for use in the treatment of cancer, AIDS, MS, pain, and other serious diseases. Research using these substances has been done at colleges throughout the Commonwealth, such as at the University of Pennsylvania. There is no scientific or moral reason why we should send cutting edge research out of the state. There is also no reason to ban something that may one day be a prescribed medication used to treat the severely ill. Preliminary evidence suggests these substances appear to be relatively harmless. Some of these substances and similar substances have been shown to kill cancer cells, reduce nausea and vomiting, and boost the immune system.

There are absolutely no legit legal or medical reasons why these compounds should be stopped. As usual, it all points to yet another idiot politician with a hard-on for trying to suppress any and all drugs, regardless of what context they’re used in. Merely banning marijuana because people consume it is stupid enough, given the drug’s relative harmlessness and lack of physical addictiveness. But banning it just because artificial compounds are used to further the development of much-needed treatments for destructive sicknesses like Cancer, AIDS and MS is just fucking insane.

Rep. Mann and others who support this ridiculous bill obviously have no grasp of the reality of medical research and most likely aren’t interested in seeing past their narrow anti-drug ideology, so please do your part and sign this petition to try and sway other voting members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to kill this atrocity. (Petition can only be signed by US residents.) There are 83 signatures out of a goal of 150 at the time of writing this. I’m sure you can bump that up a bit, can’t you?

(via The Agitator)

Tags: marijuana • medical research • Jennifer Mann • cancer • AIDS • Multiple Sclerosis • MS