“All politics is local.”

An insight that is often lost in today’s global information age.

An event that occurs on the other side of the planet is transmitted around the world in a matter of minutes, magnified by the intensity of the coverage.

Perhaps that explains, at least in part, the overall feeling of confidence that Pennsylvania’s Medicinal Marijuana Bill would easily pass the House vote, especially after receiving overwhelming, bi-partisan support in the State Senate.

After all, marijuana is legal in two states and medicinal marijuana is legal in various forms in 21 states, with more on the way. With all the news about Colorado and tax revenues and lower crime rates, it made it seem all we had to do was get past Governor Corbett, who has said he would veto any proposed legalization, medicinal or otherwise.

Getting through the House would be a breeze after the victory in the Senate.

But, was the bill passed by the Senate really a victory?

Many of the original Bill’s provisions were altered or removed altogether, making it a shell of it’s former self.

As a defense attorney, I’m not surprised that this ‘deal’ offered by the Senate falls far short or what the law needs to be in order to serve justice.

The whole point has been rendered moot by the House leadership’s move to table the bill until they could form their own committee and do their own investigation, even though the exact same evidence that convinced the Senate will be presented again.

At first glance, it would be natural to react with disappointment at the news, yet a look beyond suggests, despite the fact that patients will continue to either suffer of be forced to break the law, the House may have unwittingly done the medicinal movement a favor.

The Bill, in it’s current state, was frankly inadequate. By tabling the Bill till the 2015 session, the House has opened the door to a new attempt at resubmitting the original Bill, only this time, there’s a good chance a man named Tom Wolf will be Governor.

 

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