By Ruth Manuel-Logan on Jan 26th 2011 3:19PM
Former talk show host Montel Williams, who has been a strong proponent of medical marijuana, has taken his fight to Maryland state lawmakers.
The Baltimore native became a national advocate for medical marijuana legislation and reform, when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over a decade ago. Williams spoke at a news conference Monday with Maryland lawmakers in attendance to discuss how the drug has provided relief to his pain-ridden body over the last few years.
The 54-year-old entertainer revealed that opiates no longer offer him pain relief and that marijuana is the only pain-blocker for him at this stage:
"Marijuana may not work for everyone, but what it has done for me is given me my life back," Williams told the Frederick News-Post.
Williams was a featured speaker at the press conference along with Republican Senator David Brinkley, one of the lead sponsors of the proposed bill that was introduced last year. The legislation will call for marijuana to be distributed through pharmacies and will put in place regulations for its medical use. Procedures will also be set for the state with regards to the drug's growth and prescription process.
There is also another stipulation in the bill, which will require that physicians have a well-established medical relationship with their patients, before the drug can be prescribed to them.
To date, only 15 states have medical marijuana legislation in place.
As far as Williams is concerned, he is ready to fight the good fight to make sure that his state joins the other ones that have the medical marijuana legislation in their law books.
In Maryland, legislation sponsored by Brinkley and Senator Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, passed in the Senate last year with a 35–12 vote. The House, however, didn't pass the measure but lawmakers say they'll give it another crack this year.
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=868400&pid=868399&uts=1295537321
http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf
Your Hottest News Stories
07-Jan-11 - After years of being accused of not telling the entire truth in the
Notorious B.I.G.'s murder, a task force of various local and federal law enforcement officials have now told
CNN that they are actively pursuing leads in the 13-year-old homicide.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Chi Modu, diverseimages / Getty Images
Getty Images North America
Your Hottest News Stories
07-Jan-11 - After years of being accused of not telling the entire truth in the Notorious B.I.G.'s murder, a task force of various local and federal law enforcement officials have now told CNN that they are actively pursuing leads in the 13-year-old homicide.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
06-Jan-11 - Robert Butler Jr. was found dead in his red Honda blocks from his new school with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after walking into the principal's office and shooting both the principal and vice principal.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
06-Jan-11 - TMZ reports that Tiny (aka Tameka Cottle) confirmed that when she visited her hubby at an Arkansas federal corrections center, she took matters into her own hands when they were left alone in a room.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
05-Jan-11 - Ted Williams, a homeless man from Ohio with a "Golden voice," has a true rags to riches story.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
04-Jan-11 - Heroic Media, an Austin-based pro-life organization, is saturating billboards from Jacksonville, Fla., to Austin, Texas, with an insulting message that blatantly labels black women menaces to society.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
29-Dec-10 - Nicole Mitchell Murphy, ex-wife of legendary comedian Eddie Murphy, is nearly flat broke and on the verge of losing the mansion awarded to her in her divorce settlement.
Click Here for the Complete Story
Your Hottest News Stories
Michelle Obama Attends Beyonce Concert
7 Weird Ways To Bug-Proof Your Picnic
Comments: (5)
Add a comment
By: Dj on 1/26/2011 6:14PM
I know a young man that has MS, he takes a shot weekly that cost $2,500,he takes another that cost $1,000 for (30) monthly to help him walk along with taking 19 pills a day and he has lost his appetite this means he has lost his natural desire for food. He has insurance and if he didn't I don't know where my family would be. I know where we would be, we would help because we are his family andwe still have to help from time to time.
My brother started a self-help group for people with MS 10 years ago and he has helped so many people and their caregivers I am my brother's caregiver.
This young man was a high school teacher he had to retire last year (2010) because he can no longer teach and the lord knows we need more good Black men in the classrooms, but he can no longer be a great role role for children of all races.
I know the multiple sclerosis (sc) is killing my only brother, and he can't get medical marijuana in our state. So We try everything to get him to eat.
This is my brother. I plan to talk to a sentator in my state of about putting a bill forward like this in our bible belt state.
Go a head Maryland and thank you Montel Williams for having the brains to speak for people like my brother and other's.
If those of you that haven't walked in my shoes you can't speak on the subject.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: James Ward on 1/31/2011 2:18AM
Guess you struck out with this story, Ruthie?
Here's an idea..do a story of the NAACP's support of legalizing marijuana.
Report This
By: James Ward on 1/31/2011 2:25AM
Better yet, Ruthie..do a story on the slide of the NAACP into oblivion.
Report This
By: Zack Lambing on 5/01/2011 6:27PM
I was in a very bad wreck 1-24-09 that almost took my life. I have a severe T.B.I, But was still charged with a D.U.I. even though, their was nothing linking me to the bottle they found about 50 feet by where I wrecked on Interstate 70, which goes from Blatimore- to the pacific ocean. Now I have some problems that pills dont work for. Marijuana is the only thing that works for a number of my problems, but because of my unlawful D.U.I. I need to go to a drug counsler. I can not use my medicine for 2-3 months while I go there. Is there anything that you can do to help me with? I think that going to a drug counsler is crule and unusual punishment for someone that it was not proven to be drinking. Please help me Montel..? 724-961-1389
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Richey on 6/16/2011 10:41AM
I think one of the biggest hang-ups that the nation has with legalizing medical marijuana is that it would hurt the pharmaceutical companies. Thanks to the FDA, these companies have become gigantic and have a huge impact on our economy.
Reply to this Comment | Report This