December 31, 2016
A Pennsylvania state senator admitted to crossing the state border to obtain medical marijuana before it was legalized back home.
Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, said in an editorial meeting with the York Daily Record earlier this month that he traveled to another state to get the drug while undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma despite a state ban at the time.
Folmer, who helped push through legislation that legalized medical marijuana in Pennsylvania earlier this year, told the newspaper he used the drug while undergoing chemotherapy, adding he has been cancer-free for two years.
Per the York Daily Record:
“I believe it helped magnify the effect of chemotherapy in a ... whirlwind fashion. I mean, my blood work has been immaculate,” Folmer told the York Daily Record/Sunday News editorial board.
Folmer said marijuana also helped him keep up his appetite and avoid other types of treatment that would have been riskier and essentially put him on his “back for about six months.”
Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill into law in April that legalized medical marijuana for patients suffering from one of 17 qualifying conditions, including cancer. Patients will be able to access the drug in pill, oil or ointment form once the program is fully implemented. State officials expect sales to begin in mid-2018.
Folmer was the primary sponsor of the bill. During a signage ceremony at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, advocates chanted his name in celebration.
The York Daily Record noted that it is unlikely Folmer will be charged for a crime because of his admission, as more evidence would be needed, but even more importantly it's unlikely any prosecutors would be interested in pursuing a case.
