West Kentucky Star

Kentucky

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Marijuana plants
PHOTO:Star File

Clark Prepares to Unveil Marijuana Proposal

By AP

FRANKFORT, KY - A Louisville lawmaker is preparing to unveil legislation that he will introduce in next year's legislative session that would legalize marijuana for medical purposes.

Democratic Sen. Perry Clark scheduled a press conference for 2 p.m. EDT Thursday to promote what he has dubbed the "Gatewood Galbraith Medical Marijuana Memorial Act" in honor of the late Lexington attorney who was the state's leading proponent of marijuana legalization.

Galbraith, a perennial gubernatorial candidate, was also a proponent of lifting federal restrictions that prevent Kentucky farmers from growing industrial hemp.

Clark said he is promoting his bill some six months before the next legislative session in hopes of building support for it. A similar measure failed in this year's legislative session.

Published 03:51 AM, Thursday Jul. 05, 2012
Updated 06:19 AM, Friday Jul. 06, 2012

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- Name: Fed U.
  
  7/25/2012 11:44:28 AM
  
  I live in Marion County Kentucky (Lebanon), home of one of the biggest pot busts in US history back in the late 80s/early 90s. The problem is, it's still here. I moved back here in 2000. I went on the internet to chat rooms for company, and made comments about how many times I've driven down the roads here after 'revenuer hours' thru smoke from pot bed burn offs. These burn offs were not from police action, they were farmers burning off that year's crop stubble to get their beds ready for the next growing season. Next thing I knew, my computer was being hacked regular, I'd come home from work and my previously unplugged computer would be replugged up and running. I had a car I bought from the county (they still had keys) that was tampered with (throttle), and then taken/stolen last year to keep evidence hidden/ The local government had several employees who suddenly changed internet providers without a vote, and then recently changed back to the previous one. I guess this gave them a reason to reformat or erase their tracks after I had posted about them hacking computers on a news website about the 6 most corrupt cities in the US. I was on Rand Paul's website and left a message that with the local government trying to steal my home (I have not been allowed to have mail since 2009, have been followed, my home has been illegally entered by them repeatedly, they've taken my personal property and divided it among themselves, terrorized me, and so much more), and stated that it was wrong that they should be able to steal my things to cover the pot growers here. I'm not the criminal and I resented my life's works/possessions, etc., being stolen to pay directly or indirectly for the local criminal officials. Evidently Paul forwarded it to local rep. Jimmy Higdon, who did a stare down on me, very intimidating,, and later took bows for creating jobs at a company in a county he doesn't represent, I had just been fired from. Evidently his influence crosses counties. Now, I found out he is also working to get laws changed to allow hemp growing. In Marion County and surrounding counties, governing themselves on pot growth, that is the equivallent of putting a pedophile in sole charge of a daycare 24/7. They are so wrapped up in illegal activity here that even when I sent a fax from the local library to the EEOC/Human Rights Commission, the worker at the library ran it through the scan copy part of the copier before she sent my fax. That fax had my SS nu on it, and mentioned Higdon. There is so much more.
  
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  Name: Judy T.
  
  7/10/2012 12:48:28 PM
  
  I wish someone would start the push for industrial hemp. It would be great for Kentucky. There are numerous products we could make from it. It is not Obama who stopped the legal production it was big business and rich guys, Mellon, Hurst and Dupont. It would hurt their business. Once agaain we are victims of big business and the rich with government backing. Legalizing medical marijuana would hurt the drug cartels.
  
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  Name: Terra S.
  
  7/8/2012 5:06:41 AM
  
  I'm disappointed in this article. Industrial hemp and medical marijuana are 2 completely different issues, as well as 2 completely different plants. Gatewood would have been the first to point this out if he was still with us.
  
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  Name: Chuck W.
  
  7/5/2012 7:12:01 PM
  
  Chris M, am not disagreeing with what you said, I am just trying to point out that under our current Executive political climate, it ain't gonna happen. Kentucky has two huge walls that have been placed in front of anything that would allow the Commonwealth to make any moves toward restoring prosperity to Kentucky. 1st is Obama, he will never allow us to act like we have any more right to govern our own state then he has any other state. For him this is all about grabbing as much control over everything he can. Big, Dominating Government ! 2nd, we have Steve (Jimmy Carter II) Beshear who does nothing to fight for making Kentucky stronger economically. For him it is all about staying in the good graces of the Democratic Party, regardless of how bad things get here.
  
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  Name: Chris M.
  
  7/5/2012 4:30:15 PM
  
  Chuck, easing the pain of the suffering trumps "legal costs to fight for it" any day of the week. This will add jobs in the private sector, if done right, and cost overpaid government employees some of their overtime pay. A win/win when it comes to improving the economy.
  
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  Name: Chuck W.
  
  7/5/2012 3:29:36 PM
  
  Chris M, I am drowning. So I get your point. However, you are talking about two separate issues. If medical marijuana opened the door to legalized marijuana, then California would already be there. I agree that the cost of fighting it does seem to take a lot away from more important legal issues. Now that more "leaks" are just starting come out that Obama plans on "easing the legal ramifications of using pot" during his "second term", I am sure there will be stories in the near future to discuss that. However, we need jobs, lots of jobs. We need to take the same measures to let our economy grow, and stop the senseless attacks on free enterprise. This is just a very very small step in any direction. Our problems are much bigger then this.
  
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  Name: Chris M.
  
  7/5/2012 2:47:53 PM
  
  Chuck, when you are drowning those life vest come in mighty handy. If we can cut the amount of money wasted on the drug war Kentucky will be better off. In 2010, just the cost of jailing drug offenders was 100 million dollars. Add in the other costs and you are talking some pretty serious money. This bill will just be a small step. But it is an important one on the road to returning freedom to the citizens of Kentucky.
  
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  Name: Chris M.
  
  7/5/2012 2:40:13 PM
  
  Let me ask you Charles T., does spending months with muscle cramps that put you in a wheelchair and are so painful that you cannot sleep outweigh any of the "negative" problems? How about we apply the same standard to booze?
  
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  Name: Chuck W.
  
  7/5/2012 2:12:08 PM
  
  California has medical marijuana, and the Federal Government steps in. Arizona tried to uphold state and federal laws and the Federal Government steps in. Florida tries to remove dead people and others who no longer live in the state from their voter roll, and the Federal Government steps in. I agree, at this point in time when states are not allowed to self-govern this would be a very stupid can of worms to open up. However, backing away from the story and looking at the big picture, this is just another Democratic "smoke and mirrors" trick to take our intention away from the real issues. Kentucky is a sinking boat, and this guy wants to add a few more life vests. It will still sink. We have to stay focused on our National Economy, and this is not going to have any impact on that.
  
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  Name: Judy T.
  
  7/5/2012 2:08:26 PM
  
  charles t: Look around, how many drugs actually cure health problems. Don't most of them just get rid of the symptoms? I would actually consider medical marijuana to be more safe that some of the stuff they put on the market today. Listen to the ads that cover the side effects, or the ads for the lawyers making bundles because of consequences from taking the drugs.
  
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  Name: charles t.
  
  7/5/2012 1:31:14 PM
  
  All I have ever seen on it is that it helps with the symptoms of several health problems. I have yet seen any where that it cures any heath problems. I do agree that it does help with some people, but does that out way the negative problems that accompany the easier availability of the drug?
  
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  Name: Matt O.
  
  7/5/2012 11:01:41 AM
  
  Chris M. and Estelle B.: Couldn't have said it any better! Great insight into the value of the plant as well as the reasons for it still being illegal.
  
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  Name: Chris M.
  
  7/5/2012 10:12:24 AM
  
  V, It is time we stood up to the Feds and told them to mind their own business. We have enough crap pushed on us because the Feds tell us we have to do it. The states are supposed to act as protection for the citizens against the Federal government. But too often they line up like hogs at the trough and eat all the slop DC feeds them.
  
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  Name: V .
  
  7/5/2012 8:28:36 AM
  
  This is the wrong "first step" to take on legalizing MJ. I'd like to read the bill, to see if it determines how to handle the federal lawsuits that plague the west coast states and fed crackdowns on "legal businesses". Legal in the state doesn't mean legal under federal jurisdiction. This would cost KY tax payers millions of dollars in lawsuits. I guess a stimulus for lawyers is still a stimulus, right? A more sensible approach to this would be to start legalizing the production of non-drug inducing hemp. Leave pot to when the feds relax the war on drugs, or reschedule medical pot to a regulated prescription drug. There's so much pressure on congress now to legalize it, that it'll happen soon enough.
  
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  Name: Estelle B.
  
  7/5/2012 7:29:32 AM
  
  This can be a win win situation for everyone. First it will give farmers another crop to raise and sell. It will stop the thugs from selling it on the streets because the value will be to low to fool with and the main thing will be it is so much safer to treat patients with than popping a pill that could also kill the liver and kidneys and even put people in a zombie state. I had much rather see a cancer patient sitting up talking than laying flat and unable to enjoy family because of the pills they have to take to manage their pain wouldn't you? I see the reason so many will be against this but thats because they don't really care about the sick people of Kentucky. Drug companies will fight it tooth and nail, the pushers will fight it because it will put an end to their easy living and I would not be shocked when the ones who make their living, such as cops, sheriffs, judges and so on, go against it as well because this has created so much money for the system as a whole. I think they want to keep it illegal just because it generates so much easy money all the way around. Can you imagine what it would be like to not have this as a problem anymore?
  
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  Name: Estelle B.
  
  7/5/2012 7:05:47 AM
  
  It is a proven fact that this plant has great medical purposes. It is abused I will agree but what drug hasn't been abused by many. This plant should be used for medical reasons. I have never used it in my life and hope I never have reason to but on the other hand from what I have read cancer is one thing this plant, when used for medical reasons, has a great effect on helping the pain and I can't hold it against anyone suffering to not want it. I have seen so much suffering that even morphine wouldn't help. If this drug can give some relief to a bone cancer patient I say go for it! Why fill their bodies with another drug that isn't helping...what is the difference in one drug over another if it works for them and has less side effects on the organs? Sure people use it to get high and I do not support all of that but I will support it for medical reasons. If that was an option when my father was suffering I would have praised the doctor that gave it to him. I think it is time to educate the people who are against it.
  
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  Name: Chris M.
  
  7/5/2012 6:08:32 AM
  
  Eddie, you clearly have no clue what you are talking about. Marijuana works better for some medical conditions than your "proper" medical care. This is proven medical fact. For people with cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and a host of other diseases, marijuana is a life saver. I know, the thugs with jewelry will be against this. It takes power from them. The big drug companies will be against this, it cuts their profits. All it will do is make the lives of thousands of Kentuckians better and safer. We can't have that, can we Eddie?
  
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  Name: eddy a.
  
  7/5/2012 4:54:22 AM
  
  Boy,boy,boy, what has this world come to.Marijuana has no medical benefit.People that uses marijuana for medical purposes just get high and they think that it helps them with their medical condition when they should get proper medical treatment.There will be more marijuana on the streets for your kids to buy.A lot of money will be made for people that wants to sale marijuana that is what this is all about.They are not thinking about people with a medical condition.They are thinking about how much money that they can make.
  
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