What exactly would a medical marijuana law do?
A medical marijuana law — like the effective laws at work in 12 states — would protect people with cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other serious illnesses from being arrested and imprisoned for possessing and using marijuana for medical purposes with the advice of their doctors. Additionally, such a law would protect patients’ caregivers from criminal penalties for growing or possessing medical marijuana for the patients’ use. Patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, or certain other illnesses would be able to apply for registry ID cards that would protect them from arrest and prosecution. They would have to provide their doctors’ written recommendations and pay the appropriate application fees. Furthermore, a physician would not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty for providing a written recommendation to medical marijuana patients or for otherwise stating that the benefits of a patient’s medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh any health risks.
