Medical marijuana advocates meet; Rep. Mackey hosting town hall

Hobbled by a degenerative back disease and arthritis, there were days when Perry Parks was in near-constant pain. He tried Vioxx, epidural steroids and other drugs, but he said nothing seemed to work.

Then the Vietnam veteran from Rockingham turned to marijuana.

"The results were overwhelming," says Parks, 67. "I now live almost pain-free."

Tonight Parks will share his story at a town hall meeting at UNC Charlotte hosted by state Rep. Nick Mackey of Mecklenburg County.

"The evidence that it benefits patients is pretty much unrefuted," Mackey said Wednesday.

Mackey and Rep. Kelly Alexander Jr., both Democrats, are co-sponsoring a bill that would make North Carolina the 15th state in the nation to legalize the medical use of marijuana. The chief sponsor, Democratic Rep. Earl Jones of Greensboro, also is expected to attend.

Their bill, HB 1380, would legalize marijuana use for people diagnosed with debilitating conditions including cancer, glaucoma, rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis. It also would license producers of the product and dispensaries that distribute it.

The bill is in the House Committee on Health. Mackey and other sponsors hope to move it forward when the General Assembly reconvenes in May.

Supporters made their case at a public hearing last June. They were met by skepticism by some legislators, including at least one who worried that it would lead to addiction.

But advocates say medical marijuana use is growing.

"This is part of a trend going on across the country and it has broad public support," said Ray Warren, a former N.C. legislator from Matthews who served as Director of State Policies for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington.

Fourteen states allow the use of medical marijuana but few deal with the supply. Unlike many, North Carolina would license growers.

"That's the new sort of frontier," Warren said. "Not only would the state quit prosecuting people but the state would give them a way to obtain the product."

Sponsors say the bill eventually would raise $60 million a year through taxes and licensing fees.

They hope that's a selling point in a tough economy.

"That gives it a much better chance because we need to find new sources of revenue in North Carolina," Mackey said. "... We can't just keep raising taxes."

But efforts to legalize marijuana for any reason could face opposition.

"If we start increasing our acceptance of drugs, you're going to see a higher level of drug use," said Police Chief Tim Ledford of Mint Hill, president of the N.C. Association of Chiefs of Police. "If people start accepting the use, even if it's medical marijuana use, people tend to see that being more liberal, more accepting."

To Alexander, the benefits of legalization outweigh any risks.

"It made sense from the standpoint of revenue," he said, "and it made sense from alleviating suffering."