On February 11, the Kansas Senate Health Care Strategies committee held a hearing on SB 556 that would allow for legal protections for patients who use, and physicians who recommend marijuana as part of a treatment program for debilitating medical conditions! Unfortunately, the committee chair, Senator Susan Wagle (R-Wichita) did not give the bill a fair hearing, nor will she call a vote to advance the bill to the full Senate.

After some thought and vented anger at the dartboard in my basement, I decided to do some research.

Guess what I found out! Much to my surprise (not really), every member of the committee has obtained campaign contributions from at least one and in most cases many of the lobbies of the Alcohol, Tobacco & Pharmaceutical industries (all in public records). To top it off, members of the Kansas Narcotics Officer Assn., Kansas Peace Officer Association & Kansas Association of Police Chiefs had their representatives their testifying among other parties with a financial stake in prohibition. The gross misrepresentation and distortion of statistical data was spread through the room with great conviction. The hypocrisy of the testimony was clearly evident.

I was ashamed by the fact that our elected officials let the narcotics officers dictate public health policy. I have not seen a greater display of self interest in my entire life. They might as well call it the Law Enforcement, Alcohol, Tobacco & Pharmaceutical Lobby Strategies Committee.

All that being said, my greatest displeasure has come from the media. Their absence of coverage is a disgrace to their profession.

This bill was not about making marijuana legal. It was about free speech! Current Kansas law does not allow a defendant to even say he was using marijuana as a medicine in a court of law. All this bill would do is let a defendant provide proof that he possessed marijuana for medical purposes and the judge and jury would decide the defendants fate.

Convictions are determined at the time of arrest by LEO's and prosecutors, not by juries and judges.

Justice and truth are not important, but maintaining ones turf sure is.