Advocates for the legalization of medical marijuana gathered in Harrisburg recently as the State House of Representatives considered Senate Bill 3, which would legalize marijuana use for a variety of medical conditions including cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV and AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions.
Tiffany Kuenzi of Norristown brought her four children, including her son Dillon, 9, who has intractable epilepsy, to the Capitol to show support for the bill.
The Senate passed the bill in May 2015 after having passed another legalization bill in 2014. It wasn’t until March 14, 2016, that the bill reached the House floor for consideration.
“I hate feeling like a criminal for something that can truly truly help,” says Brandon Genescritti, 29, McConnellsburg, Pa., as he waited for the House to vote on March 16. Mr. Genescritti used marijuana when he lived in Montana, where it is legal, for pain issues related to being a “little person.”
The House voted to legalize marijuana, 149-63. Advocates hoped this would be the last hurdle before the bill went to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. But, in recent weeks, concerns with “flaws” in the bill have been raised by legislators, according to a March 25 story by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sen. Mike Folmer, D-Lebanon, the bill’s sponsor, wants to amend the bill and have both chambers vote again. Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery, the bill’s co-sponsor, told the Inquirer, “If we send it back to the House, we may never see it again.” Mr. Leach added that he prefers that the Senate accept the House bill and iron out any flaws through the courts and the regulatory process.
— Rebecca Droke
Tiffany Kuenzi of Norristown shares a moment with her son Dillon, 9, as she poses for a portrait at the state Capitol building in Harrisburg on Monday, March 14, 2016. She came with Dillon and her three other children for the first time as the House considered Senate Bill 3. Dillon started seizing when he was 12- hrs. old and has been diagnosed with cerebal palsy. “We have no communication with him at all. We hope to change that,” Ms. Kuenzi said about the possible effects of using medical marijuana.Tony Aleshire, 33, of Mechanicsburg, waits for representatives to begin debating amendments to Senate Bill 3 legalizing medical marijuana at the state Capitol building in Harrisburg Monday, March 14, 2016. Mr. Aleshire, who is paralyzed below his hip flexors, also suffers from PTSD, Crohn’s disease and the affects of numerous concussions from years of football, boxing and mixed martial arts. He has attended most of the rallies held at the Capitol and considers the other advocates he meets while attending the rally as family.Erin McCann of Collegeville, Pa., stands with her son Ryan, 12, at the state Capitol building on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Ms. McCann has been to Harrsiburg about 20 times and Ryan, who has intractable epilepsy, has come 6-7 times to advocate for the legalization of medical marijuana. At 21-months Ryan had surgery, removing all of his right brain in an effort to stop the seizures. He did pretty well, unitl he was nine years old and he began having tonic clonic seizures where he would drop to the ground, says his mother. Although the McCanns had started advocating for medical marijuana for Ryan at this point, they decided they couldnt wait for medical marijuana to become legalized before they stopped the seizures. He underwent brain surgery again. “Its frustrating having to go through brain surgery during this because there was a possibly this [medical marijuana] could have made a difference without having to remove any more of his brain. It would have been nice to have this chance before going to something radical as that. She also adds, A lot of people dont realize the need today, but at some point in time one of their family members may benefit from this and hopefully they will open their minds to it.”“I hate feeling like a criminal for something that can truly truly help,” says Brandon Genescritti, 29, McConnellsburg, Pa., as he waits for the House to vote on SB 3, legalizing medical marijuana, at the State Capitol on Wednesday, March 16, 2016. “I’ve had bone issues because I’m a little person, which comes with its own set of challenges. I get bone pain and have had many surgeries in my life. I’ve used it to help with pain.” Mr. Genescritti is from Montana where he had a medical license to use medical marijuana. But he came to Pennsylvania to be with his fiance. “It should have been done a long long time ago,” he says about legalization.
By 
![Erin McCann of Collegeville, Pa., stands with her son Ryan, 12, at the state Capitol building on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Ms. McCann has been to Harrsiburg about 20 times and Ryan, who has intractable epilepsy, has come 6-7 times to advocate for the legalization of medical marijuana. At 21-months Ryan had surgery, removing all of his right brain in an effort to stop the seizures. He did pretty well, unitl he was nine years old and he began having tonic clonic seizures where he would drop to the ground, says his mother. Although the McCanns had started advocating for medical marijuana for Ryan at this point, they decided they couldnt wait for medical marijuana to become legalized before they stopped the seizures. He underwent brain surgery again. "Its frustrating having to go through brain surgery during this because there was a possibly this [medical marijuana] could have made a difference without having to remove any more of his brain. It would have been nice to have this chance before going to something radical as that. She also adds, A lot of people dont realize the need today, but at some point in time one of their family members may benefit from this and hopefully they will open their minds to it."](https://i0.wp.com/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/photos/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/07/20160410rld_InFocus03.jpg)
