HARRISBURG, Pa. -- State lawmakers say it has been around 130 days since a senate bill passed in support of medical marijuana and they are still waiting for the House to take act.
A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania legislators, a member of the governor’s executive staff, and seriously ill patients rallied Tuesday at the state capitol in support of ending the wait for medical marijuana.
State Sens. Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) and Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery), Reps. Ed Gainey (D-East Liberty) and Mike Regan (R-Dillsburg), and Pennsylvania Director of Planning and Policy John Hanger joined sick patients and their families for the event.
Parents like Cara Salemme talked about the challenges her family has faced while waiting for the House of Representatives to adopt medical marijuana legislation. The Senate approved a medical marijuana bill on May 12, 2015.
“We’re still waiting on the House to take action,” said Salemme of Hanover, whose son, Jackson, suffers from encephalitis and febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES). “My son has had to use 18 doses of rescue medication, he’s visited the hospital five times, and on two occasions I thought he’d taken his last breath. We simply cannot wait any longer.”