The California State Senate voted 27-8 to approve bi-partisan legislation that would establish a state medical marijuana research program at the University of California to study the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana.
The margin of approval was enough to qualify the bill as an “urgency measure,” mandating that it will take effect immediately if passed into law. The measure now stands before the full Assembly.
“The sooner S.B. 535 becomes law, the sooner we will have the research needed to formulate intelligent rules and regulations for a legal pharmaceutical cannabis market,” said California NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer, who supports the bill. Gieringer said that the Senate was likely persuaded by the California Medical Association’s (CMA) recent endorsement of S.B. 535.
Under the bill, research would be conducted under controlled, scientific conditions on patients suffering from AIDS wasting syndrome, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, seizure disorders, and from nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy.
For more information, please contact either Dave Fratello of Americans for Medical Rights at (310) 394-2952 or the office of Sen. John Vasconcellos at (916) 445-9740.