Here is the video of yesterday's Alabama House Judiciary Committee hearing on HB642 the medical marijuana bill. I had to break it up in different size parts because the file was huge and there was a corrupt place in it that my computer would not process.
I am working on getting my thoughts on all of the amazing things I heard in the committee hearing transformed into an article.
This video provides a unique look into the legislative process. It is rare that an entire committee hearing is filmed. All most people ever get to see is a blurb on the 5 O'clock News or an article in the newspaper, neither of which can tell the whole story of what goes on in a committee meeting. This particular one was fascinating and it is well worth your 40 minutes or so of time to watch it.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
TOMORROW!!!!!!!!
3 hours ago
3 comments:
To agree to "flip" the presumtion of guilt and say law enforcement can arrest someone with a card and they must then prove their innocence is giving up too much.
Does Saleem know who's in jail for marijuana?
Last week I and two other members of ACC went down to Montgomery and tried to visit with every member of the committee and give them an information packet that contained the latest study from the University of California SF using confiscated marijuana which showed that marijuana is good for 15 (I think) serious medical conditions. The packet also included NORML's clinical applications booklet, a recent article from the NYT about how the Federal Govt blocks research, an article from Dr. Lester Grinspoon and something else I can't recall right this second.
For most of the committee members we had to leave a packet in their office. Rep. Salaam was one of the few legislators we managed to meet face to face with for a brief second. I personally placed the information packet in his hand and told him that it contained scientific studies about medical marijuana and asked him to please read it before the upcoming vote on HB642.
I've also given him studies for the past 6 years.
Him sitting there and running his willfully ignorant mouth about there not being any scientific evidence to support medical marijuana nearly made my head explode.
He doesn't care about who is in jail and prison for marijuana. He is a former prosecutor and police officer. Yesterday he said he is an expert in Constitutional law. I nearly bit my damn tongue off trying to keep from screaming out, "Where in the Constitution does it outlaw the use of any drug beside the 18th Amendment outlawing alcohol for a brief time?"
But, you can't do those kinds of things in a committee meeting. I admire Rep. Todd even more for keeping her cool and not tearing into his ass. I'm not entirely sure I would have been able to do so myself.
As to Rep. Collier's amendment....we will work this out before the next session. He has agreed to work with us between now and then to find common ground. That's a lot further than we have ever gotten with him.
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