Should Pennsylvania legalize medicinal marijuana?
It’s a controversial issue that has bills in both the house and senate but despite the recent push, lawmakers on both sides say these bills won’t become laws anytime soon.
Parents who are watching their children have hundreds of seizures a day say legalizing a liquid form of the drug is their number one priority.
“How many parents of children like these may have to bury their children because they can’t get a medicine that they desperately need?” says Dana Ulrich, a mother from Lancaster.
Dana Ulrich watches her daughter, Lorelei suffer from seizures daily.
Monday night she spoke to Senator John Eichelberger who opposes legalizing medicinal marijuana.
“Please, I beg you to look into my child’s face, into these childrens faces and say there is a medication that can help you but you can not have it,” says Ulrich.
“I have a lot of sympathy for you but I don’t see this would change the institution of the senate or the house,” says Sen. Eichelberger.
Senator Eichelberger says it would be bad public policy to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania.
Besides that fact, he says there’s no appetite for the law in the legislature.
“We’re not going to pass any legislation in the near future..and I mean for years,” says Sen. Eichelberger.
And that’s something Representative Mark Cohen agrees on.
He says people may want to consider going to other states where it’s legal
“I think that’s certainly an option that people have to consider, other states are more responsive,” says Rep. Cohen.
But Dana Ulrich can’t afford that.
It’s why she and about a hundred others showed up to a forum in Harrisburg Monday night.
“It’s a relief that 96% of doctors, doctors, medical doctors, support,” says a supporter.
Dauphin County Coroner, Graham Hetrick calls himself a conservative individual.
But he’s for legalizing medicinal use, especially if it would save lives.
“By golly if I was a parent, I’d break the law,” says Coroner, Graham Hetrick.
The two bills in the Senate and House call for legalization of a liquid form of marijuana.
If passed those who would use it would not smoke the drug.
The chemical CBD would be extracted so that the drug would not include the hallucinogenic portion, THC.