A new Hawaii Senate bill would acknowledge that Cannabis (“marijuana”) is a pain medication. A new Hawaii Senate bill would acknowledge that Cannabis (“marijuana”) is a pain medication.

A hearing for SB2262 has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 15 at 2:45pm. (The new 24-hour rule means that testimony for the bill must be received by Tuesday, February 14 at 2:45pm.)

Sandy and Charlie Webb, MD, of the MUM Clinic wrote the legislation, and describe it below:

In 2008 the Hawai’i Pain Patient’s Bill of Rights passed, in which acute and chronic pain patients are guaranteed the “right to request or reject all treatment modalities.” By specifically including the medical use of marijuana in the Patient’s Pain Bill of Rights, it confirms a patient’s right to choose what works best for them and will help strengthen the medical marijuana program.

Reasons to support SB 2262

Chronic pain patients deserve the right to avoid addicting and highly dangerous opioids (like Oxycontin and methadone)that constipate and sedate patients and are responsible for15,000 accidental deaths every year.

Chronic pain patients deserve the right to avoid pharmaceutical NSAID’s (Non Steroidal Anti Inflamitory Drugs). Many patients are allergic to NSAID’s (aspirin, advil, alleve, etc) which can also cause kidney failure and are responsible for 100,000 hospitalizations a year (including 6,000 deaths, mainly from bleeding ulcers).

Chronic pain patients who need medical cannabis deserve the same job protection as those patients who are prescribed other controlled substances for their pain.

Chronic pain patients who need medical cannabis deserve the same right as patients using other controlled substances to travel within the state with their medication.

Chronic pain patients deserve the right to use the safest pain medication known to science: Cannabis.