SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 10

 
 1 A Joint Resolution supporting the use of marijuana for medical 
 2    purposes in the state of Iowa. 
 3    WHEREAS, significant scientific and medical studies have 
 4 demonstrated that marijuana is safe for use under medical 
 5 supervision and that the cannabis plant, in its natural form, has 
 6 important therapeutic benefits that are often of critical medical 
 7 importance to persons afflicted with a variety of life- 
 8 threatening and sense-threatening illnesses; and 
 9    WHEREAS, courts have recognized marijuana's medical value in 
10 treatment and have ruled that marijuana can be a drug of 
11 "necessity" in the treatment of glaucoma, cancer, AIDS, and 
12 multiple sclerosis; and 
13    WHEREAS, the people of the state of Iowa believe that well- 
l4 trained medical professionals rather than remote federal 
15 bureaucrats should be responsible for determining a patient's 
16 medical care routine; and 
17    WHEREAS, seriously ill Iowans and other Americans are 
18 unnecessarily suffering because of federal policies which legally 
19 prohibit marijuana's legitimate medical use; and 
20    WHEREAS, Iowa Code section 124.206, subsection 7, paragraph 
21 "a", enacted in 1979, allows the use of marijuana for medical 
22 purposes in the state of Iowa, expressing the intent of the Iowa 
23 General Assembly that marijuana should be available for 
24 legitimate medical purposes; and 
 
 1    WHEREAS, these problems are not particular to the state of 
 2 Iowa, but generally affect the citizens of all states adversely; 
 3 NOW THEREFORE, 
 4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 
 
 1    That the Iowa General Assembly memorializes the President 
 2 and the United States Congress to end federal prohibitions 
 3 against marijuana's legitimate medical use by creating a 
 4 rational system of prescriptive medical access to marijuana; 
 5 and 
 6    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be 
 7 transmitted to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the 
 8 United States; the Honorable Albert Gore, Vice President of 
 9 the United States and President of the United States Senate; 
10 the Honorable Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the United States 
11 House of Representatives; the Honorable Robert Dole, Majority 
12 Leader of the United States Senate; Donna Shalala, Secretary 
13 of the United States Department of Health and Human Services; 
14 Janet Reno, United States Attorney General; and the members of 
15 Iowa's congressional delegation.