CASPER, Wyo. (AP) – Thirty years ago, before he moved to Wyoming and became a Republican state lawmaker, Bruce Burns’ mother asked him to come to Long Island, N.Y., with pot.
Burns’ uncle, a Jesuit priest who lived most of his life as a missionary in India, was dying of lung cancer.
Burns was a dutiful son. He delivered the goods. His uncle’s mood and appetite improved. The priest gained 15 pounds and was more comfortable when he died. Burns, now a state senator from Sheridan, became a believer in the medical benefits of marijuana.
During the weekend, the weed blogosphere lit up on news of Burns’ personal story and his belief that marijuana should be legal in the Cowboy State for medical purposes. Burns shared his story with a Sheridan radio station last week.
“Kudos to Senator Bruce Burns,” wrote Oregon marijuana activist “Johnny Green” on his Weed Blog. “I know it’s not easy going on the record in Wyoming supporting medical marijuana.”
“Burns’ view is increasingly common – a poll last June found that 60 percent of Americans favor allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana,” the left-leaning Think Progress blog said.
Burns’ comments also come at a time when another lawmaker, state Rep. Sue Wallis, R-Recluse, says she will sponsor a bill on legalization of marijuana for medical use.
Burns told the Star-Tribune on Monday he was living in Colorado when his mother asked him to travel to New York with marijuana. It was illegal at the time. Burns declined to share details, such as whether he flew or drove with the weed.
“Let’s just say the statute of limitations has passed,” said Burns, who said he does not smoke pot.
In those days, chemotherapy was rougher than it is today, Burns said.
But Burns doesn’t think medical marijuana in Wyoming should be limited to terminal illness.
“I know there are a number of maladies that it treats,” he said. “One I’ve heard of is glaucoma.”
Burns believes marijuana should be prescribed by a physician to a patient. Patients should get the prescriptions filled at pharmacies like pain killers, penicillin and other drugs.
“If a doctor can use it as a tool in treating a patient, I don’t know why the federal government gets involved,” he said.
There are ways to make sure medical marijuana prescriptions aren’t abused. Physicians’ prescriptions can be reviewed by licensing authorities, he said.
