Ohio Rights Group

1021 East Broad St., Columbus, OH 43205

614.300.0529

ohiorightsgroup.org

[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

ORG General Number – (614) 300-0529 ORG President, Mary Jane Borden – (614) 599-2485 OCNA President, Janet Breneman – (419) 410-0017 E-mail – [email protected]

Date:

March 7, 2016

SUBJECT:

UNPRESCEDENTED SPEAKER LINE-UP Dr. G. Malik Burnett of the John Hopkins School of Public Health to testify at March 10th Medical Marijuana Task Force Hearing – other prestigious speakers announced

(Columbus, OH): The speaker line-up at the Ohio House of Representative’s Medical Marijuana Task Force hearings has been unprecedented, and this coming Thursday, March 10th will be no exception. Dr. G. Malik Burnett, a General Preventive Medicine Resident at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, will testify as a proponent of making safe access to medical cannabis legal in the State of Ohio. Dr. Burnett’s impressive background – including a Masters of Business Administration, a Medical Doctorate and a Masters in Public Health – make him well qualified to speak about the science behind medical cannabis and its public health implications. At Johns Hopkins, he conducts clinical outcome studies on the therapeutic effects of medical marijuana and is preparing the school’s perspective on international drug policy for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs to be held in New York City on April 19th. The media is invited to interview Dr. Burnett between 6:00 and 7:00 pm prior to the March 10 th hearing. The Task Force meets in Room 313 on the third floor of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. His testimony is made possible through a collaboration between the Ohio Right Group and the Ohio Cannabis Nurses Association. In addition to Dr. Burnett, this collaboration has secured the testimony of the following experts on the hearing dates of March 17 and March 31. 3/17 – Jahan Marcu, Ph.D. Chief Scientist/Auditor for Americans for Safe Access. Develops training for Maryland and DC regulators to audit cannabis operations for compliance and quality control via the American Herbal Pharmacopeia. 3/17 – Professor Douglas Berman, J.D. Professor at The Moritz College of Law and nationally known consultant, including testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, on Sentencing Law and Policy, and Co-Author of Sentencing Law and Policy: Cases, Statutes and Guidelines and editor of Federal Sentencing Reporter. (speaker courtesy of Deb Tongren) 3/31 – David Bearman, MD. Practicing physician, author of Drugs are Not the Devil's Tools and Demons, Discriminations, and Dollars; pioneer and prominent leader in the field of cannabinoid medicine. (speaker courtesy of Deb Tongren) 3/31 – Irv Rosenfeld. One of four remaining Federal Medical Cannabis Patients who, under a Compassionate IND, legally receives medical marijuana each month form the federal government. Written testimony – Arnold Sterne Leff, MD. Practicing physician, former drug abuse coordinator for City of Cincinnati, Deputy Associate Director of the White House Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention, and consultant to the Department of Defense on substance abuse. (courtesy of Deb Tongren)

Meetings legislators – John Hudak, Ph.D. Deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute, scholar in examining sustainable, sensible paths in drug policy and the escalation of state-federal conflicts over hot-button issues such as legalization of marijuana. (courtesy of Deb Tongren) The Ohio House Medical Marijuana Task Force was convened by State Representative Kurt Schuring (R-Canton) on January 28, 2016. Its purpose is to study the legalization of medical marijuana in Ohio by hearing live testimony from a cross spectrum of witnesses at seven meetings to be held in February and March. The 15member Task Force has conducted four hearings so far. Task Force members come from a number of disciplines ranging from medical groups, to police associations and trade councils. Members also include representatives of the failed Responsible Ohio ballot initiative. Representing state government are State Rep. Dr. Steve Huffman (RTipp City), State Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) and former attorney general Betty Montgomery. Summing up the importance of the Task Force, OCNA President Janet Brenemen said, “Ohio advocates are hopeful that these hearings will lead to the introduction and passage of a comprehensive medical marijuana bill that will both protect patients from criminal prosecution and start an industry to serve their therapeutic needs. Time is way too short for so many of them.” The Ohio Rights Group is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for the rights of Ohioans to make medical, therapeutic and industrial use of the Cannabis plant and supports the growing number of individuals, organizations and industries facilitating those uses. The Ohio Cannabis Nurses Association is an incorporated Ohio non-profit that educates healthcare professionals, legislators and the public about the science behind cannabis and its potential as a therapeutic medication.

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Ohio Rights Group

1021 East Broad St., Columbus, OH 43205

614.300.0529

ohiorightsgroup.org

[email protected]