Bishop Angell among supporters of medical marijuana law in Vermont

Published: 2004-06-18

BURLINGTON, Vt. (CNS) -- Backers of an ultimately successful move to legalize medical marijuana in Vermont found a supporter in Burlington Bishop Kenneth A. Angell. During debate in the Vermont Legislature about the bill to legalize the use of marijuana by those with chronic and severe suffering, Bishop Angell told a Vermont magazine that he supported "controlled substance prescriptions for medical marijuana." "The movement has substantial and respectable support from physicians, social workers and legislators of thought," he said in an April statement to Burlington-based Seven Days magazine. "Certainly the dangers of misuse can be no greater than the existing legal availability of many controlled substances," the bishop added. "I believe that such low-risk drugs are an important and humane contribution to pain control and quality end-of-life care." But in a second statement in April, Bishop Angell emphasized that he did not support any move toward the legalization of marijuana in other circumstances and "would not want to send an inappropriate message to our youth, that marijuana is acceptable for nonmedicinal purposes."

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .