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Minutes for SB113 - Committee on Public Health and Welfare
Short Title
Providing for the legal use of medical cannabis.
Minutes Content for Fri, Mar 15, 2019
Chairperson Suellentrop opened the hearing continuation on SB113.
Barry R. Grissom testified as a proponent of SB113. It is his position that medical cannabis should be regulated by the government for multiple reasons. Citizens with qualifying medical conditions should be able to seek treatment from a plant that has been shown over the years by expert medical and scientific evidence to provide treatment and relief. Medical cannabis is a safe alternative to opioid pain medication. If the government regulates medical cannabis, this will take the production, distribution and sale of marijuana out of the hands of criminals. (Attachment 1)
Cheryl Kumberg is a registered nurse and has been a Kansas licensed healthcare professional for 40 years. The last two years of her nursing career has been spent on cannabis education and she has become active in the cannabis hemp industry in Kansas. As a cannabis nurse she has received specialized education, passed tests and worked in the medical cannabis field. She stated that the scientific proof that cannabis does have medicinal value has been proven. People who are using it are realizing astounding health improvements, getting off opioids and returning to a productive life. (Attachment 2)
Kimberly Kruger testified that when she was five years old she was diagnosed with Behcets, a rare autoimmune disease for which there is no cure, very little research and no one medication that is FDA approved for its treatment. Until she tried cannabidiol oil (CBD) and (CBG) she was taking twenty or more medications at a time. Since she starting using the oils she has been able to get off most of the prescriptions and while not a cure, she is able to manage better than ever before. (Attachment 3)
June Bell testified that after a second lump appeared after an initial lumpectomy and being told that the "standard of care" would be either another lumpectomy or a mastectomy she began researching natural alternative treatments. She chose go to to California and use medical cannabis. After three months a breast cancer marker blood test showed a 14 with the normal range being 1-30. In addition skin cancers, eczema and plantar warts which she had at the beginning of her medical cannibas treatment had disappeared. (Attachment 4)
Jeannie Teske is trained as a social worker and has engaged in social advocacy for seniors, but testified as a patient desperately in need of medical cannabis. Since surgery for a brain tumor in 2006 she suffers from stroke symptoms, depression, chronic post-traumatic daily headaches and only sleeps an average of 5-6 hours at night. Through the years the side effects of the medications have caused her numerous problems. She feels that medical marijuana is her last hope for a better quality of life and a chance to experience one day without pain. (Attachment 5)
Murray Anderson, Sr. testified as a proponent for SB113 on behalf of his son and daughter, who are both veterans. (Attachment 6)
Proponent written only testimony was submitted by Cody Freeze, Pharmacist. (Attachment 7)
David Auble is a veteran and is a cancer patient for a second time. He has run out of options in the state of Kansas . He cannot do any more radiation so his treatment options are experimental chemotherapy or surgery which are unacceptable to him. He testified as neutral. He supports the bill but said the bill needs to be amended. As a veteran he is offended that SB113 uses veterans as it does. He testified that it makes no sense to put a veteran first when there are non-veterans with terminal illnesses and children with seizure disorders. Additionally is the matter of the two year relationship with a doctor. He feels this bill lacks compassion as it is written. (Attachment 8)
Neutral written only testimony was submitted by:
Alexandra Blasi, Executive Secretary, Kansas State Board of Pharmacy (Attachment 9)
Cindy Luxem, President and CEO, Kansas Health Care Association/Kansas Center for Assisted Living (Attachment 10)
Kelly Rippel, Individual (Attachment 11)
Kansas Highway Patrol (Attachment 12)
Michelle Meier, Commission Counsel, Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training (Attachment 13)
Kansas Department of Health and Environment (Attachment 14)
Dr. Eric Voth is a practicing physician and an internationally recognized expert on marijuana. He presented opponent testimony stating that it is disingenuous to call this bill the "Veterans" bill when marijuana actually has negative effects on PTSD sufferers and can result in more violent episodes.Substances that are used for medicinal purposes need to go either though the rigorous process of FDA approval or they need to be part of an approved research program. Kansas needs to stand strong and push back against this pro-marijuana movement. (Attachment 15)
Kirk Thompson testified in opposition to SB113. From the perspective of his forty-plus years of dedicated, real-world law enforcement experience he offered testimony regarding marijuana seizures, crime data and violence and examples of major violent crimes in Kansas that have involved marijuana. He states that despite the fact that SB113 is characterized as a "medical cannabis" bill, the terminology merely seeks to disguise the fact that this bill is about the legalization of marijuana. (Attachment 16)
Sheriff Jeff Easter's opponent testimony highlighted three issues that result in his concern to legalizing medical marijuana in Kansas. 1) the introduction to repeal the legal and regulatory structure of current law in regards to the growing of hemp in Kansas, 2) misconception that marijuana helps people with glaucoma when, in fact, the Glaucoma Society has publicly stated that marijuana smoke is not good for glaucoma and 3) the misinformation that there is no difference between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana. This leads to a real concern in how vape cartridges are packaged. (Attachment 17)
Michelle Voth stated in her opposition testimony that legalization of marijuana isn't good policy when the following is considered: 1) marijuana is the number one reason children and adolescents are admitted for substance-dependence treatment in Kansas and throughout the country; 2) the three primary contributors to substance abuse and addiction are - accessibility of the substance, social acceptance of the substance's use and perceived risk of harmfulness and 3) lack of science-based evidence. SB113 creates medicine by legislative action that is not supported by research, but rather by anecdotal stories. (Attachment 18)
Jeffrey Stamm testified in opposition and urged committee members to not follow the path of other states that have legalized marijuana; to not succumb to the misguided notion that marijuana in its raw form can be "medicine" and to not fall prey to the false promises of additional tax revenues absent new - and larger - social, criminal and medical costs that will surely follow. He closed his testimony stating that in titling this bill in the name of veterans is vulgar and offensive, undermining both federal law and U.S. Military readiness in its specific language to make the drug available to current service members. (Attachment 19)
Amanda Stanley, in her testimony asked that the legislature carefully weigh the impact of medical cannabis on law enforcement and human resources and provide cities a portion of any funds to offset the impact of medical cannabis. Additionally, Kansas should delay implementation of medical cannabis to give time to study any issues that might result from the passage of medical cannabis and to allow cities necessary time to enact possible zoning change, provide additional training to law enforcement on how to deal with impaired driving from medical cannabis, and training on how to identify legal verses illegal medical cannabis. (Attachment 20)
Written only opponent testimony was submitted by:
Chief Darrell Atteberry, Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police (Attachment 21)
Deputy Chief Paul Schliffke, Kansas Peace Officers' Association (Attachment 22)
Tim Eldredge, President, Kansas Narcotics Officer's Association (Attachment 23)
Undersheriff Tom Fischer, President, Kansas Juvenile Officers Association (Attachment 24)
Rachelle Colombo, Director of Government Affairs, Kansas Medical Society (Attachment 25)
Dena Hubbard, Legislative Coordinator, Kansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (Attachment 26)
Questions were asked by committee members.
Chairperson Suellentrop closed the hearing on SB113.
Chairperson Suellentrop adjourned the meeting at 10:30 a.m. The next scheduled meeting is March 18, 2019.
