NC - House committee kills medical marijuana bill, tired of all the people calling and writing in

[The Straight Story]

House committee kills medical marijuana bill

Raleigh, N.C. — The House Rules Committee has killed a bill that would have legalized medical marijuana, an effort by House leaders to stem a tide of phone calls and emails on the topic.

It is somewhat unusual to give a measure an unfavorable report. Typically, bills that won't pass merely sit in committee unheard and untended.

"We did it to be done with it, so people could move on for the session," said Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam, R-Wake. He said lawmakers we're being "harassed" with phone calls and emails about medical marijuana.

The committee listened to public comments about the bill for about 20 minutes before voting.

"Today, my purpose is to convince all of you to legalize marijuana for medical purposes," said Catherine Lyles, 51, of Raleigh. She told the committee that she had been treated for brain cancer 17 years ago and was expected to live only five years.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. I'm blocking my ears so I don't have to listen to you stoned lobbies!

Stop bothering us with your calls. We ain't gonna listen to yawl anyways.

[Fawke Em]

5. Psst... It's spelled, "y'all."

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. and my dimmed spill czech changed libbies to lobbies. Sigh.

Hey, if they are members of the Tea Bagger class, are you SURE they know how to spell "y'all" correctly?

[11 Bravo]

11. I just assumed it was phonetic spelling, done as a courtesy to lurking freepers.

[Lindsay]

2. When they want our opinions,

they'll tell us what they are.

After all, they don't run for office to listen to constituents. They're there to enforce their own opinions. In far too many cases.

[City Lights]

3. We "harass" them when we give them our opinion.

Those we elect to represent us consider it harassment when they hear from us.

[Rider3]

4. Ah, the North Carolina democratic process

If they don't want to deal with it, just kill it.

[Eleanors38]

6. It's called ycarcomed in action!

[felix_numinous]

8. 'Let's move on to something

more lucrative' is what they meant to say.

[Mnemosyne]

9. Please tell me this is satire. Anyone? Bueller? K&R nt

[steve2470]

15. nope sadly, link here:

http://www.wral.com/house-committee-kills-medical-marijuana-bill/12131140/

[Mnemosyne]

16. Geeze, does this crap ever end? Thanks Steve. nt

[Poll_Blind]

10. Perfect example of failed, non-representative, representation. nt

PB

[green for victory]

12. how many of their kids are on meds? What a circus...

It's not *really* a "drug war" is it. It's a war on "drugs" that can't be controlled.

[SweetLibertyNow]

13. NC committee wrong on this issue now and for decades.

Hypocrisy is the problem I have in making this an if only those ignorant Republicans were replaced with Democrats issue.

I have been fighting for decades to reform NC marijuana laws. Everything from Industrial Hemp, Medical Marijuana use/research, and marijuana reform as a victim-less crime has been met with roadblocks and heel-dragging. While the Democrats were the overwhelming majority in NC, all the Marijuana reformers ever got was lip service and no real action. I actually naively thought in 2006 when a vote was taken to authorize an economic study of Industrial Hemp some progress was going to be made. It wasn't, the funds never were released and the report was never even started. I couldn't even get a local Democratic majority board to write a letter to the 2006 study group to suggest that they evaluate the benefits of Industrial Hemp as a barrier crop to clean up water pollution.

While I detest the social conservative war mongering branch of the GOP. I can not simply think that by just voting Democratic it is going to reform this issue. If you let Democrats use this issue, like so many others, to get votes then don't hold them accountable; how do you ever expect to accomplished real reform? And that means getting involved in the primaries. If a candidate claims to be for medical marijuana and/or industrial hemp gets elected don't let them get away with not following through just because they have a D next to their name.

[etherealtruth]

14. Constituents expressing their opinions to their elected officials

This is harassment?

NC legislature = idiots

[Solly Mack]

17. They're telling their constituents what they really think of them. (very little)

Wonder if the voters will listen?