{"articles":[{"id":2576,"title":"Virginia Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill","html_content":"

by Causes | 2.6.18

What’s the story?

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The Virginia Senate voted unanimously to pass a bill legalizing cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil for the treatment of any medically diagnosed condition or disease.

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Last week, a companion bill was passed, also unanimously, in the Virginia House of Delegates.

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Why does it matter?

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State Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, the chief patron of the Senate bill, and a practicing OB/GYN, said, \"I finally decided that I needed to advocate for the physicians being the decision makers.\" She added:

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\"We, physicians, are the ones that follow the literature and know which treatments are best for different conditions. The literature on medical cannabis is going to be evolving rapidly now, and because of this, it is not a decision that should be in the hands of the legislature. Instead, it should be with physicians.\"
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My legislation to #LetDoctorsDecide just passed the Senate with a 40-Y 0-N vote! I am so excited about helping providers gain access to every possible tool to help decrease their patients' suffering. Read more about this legislation below! https://t.co/9GMqjPWV0G pic.twitter.com/OHutniSS2l
— Siobhan Dunnavant (@Dunnavant4VA) February 5, 2018\n

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Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, who's also a physician, is on record supporting the Let Doctors Decide legislation.

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced last month that the DOJ was ending the policy that allowed states to relax restrictions on recreational pot without the threat of federal interference.

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What do you think?

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Do you support medicinal marijuana? Or do you agree with Sessions that \"good people don't smoke marijuana\"? Hit Take Action and tell your reps how you feel about states challenging federal pot laws, then share your thoughts below.

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—Josh Herman

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Related Reading

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(Photo Credit: @Dunnavant4VA via Twitter)

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