Montel Williams throws support behind medical marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania

Montel Williams speaks during a news conference in support of legislation that would make Maryland the 16th state to legalize medical marijuana at the House Office Building on January 24, 2011 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Kris Connor/Getty Images)

You may remember Montel Williams as the host of the classic '90s talk show, The Montel Williams Show, but this week he’ll be in Pennsylvania in a much different capacity: as a medical marijuana advocate.
Williams will be in Harrisburg on Thursday to attend a town hall meeting urging lawmakers to legalize medical cannabis here in Pennsylvania. Dubbed “Your Voice, Your Future Town Hall,” the meeting will also feature Sen. Mike Folmer, who drafted the legislation.

Earlier this week, Williams stumped for medical marijuana in Pennsylvania via an op-ed in Pennlive in which he said the only thing separating Pennsylvanians from legal access to medical cannabis is just a little “political maneuvering.”
“If put to vote, the bill would pass, and Gov. Tom Wolf has promised to sign it,” wrote Williams in PennLive. “Meaning all that separates seriously ill and suffering Pennsylvanians from access to a critical treatment is political maneuvering.”

Additionally, he urged the Pa. House to hold an "up or down" vote, which would result in a simple "yea or nay"-style vote.
Williams, for his part, has been a medical marijuana patient since 1999, when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In 2012, he told the LA Times that medical cannabis helps with “reducing the pain in my lower extremities and mitigating spasticity when I sleep.”

On the advocacy side of things, Williams has been remarkably outspoken since his 1999 diagnosis and says he has “been involved in every state that has passed legislation” related to medical marijuana. Lucky for us, Pennsylvania appears to be no different.
Most recently, Williams traveled to Missouri back in February to advocate for the passage of House Bill 800, which would legalize medical cannabis in the state. If Missouri passes that legislation, it’ll be the 24th medical marijuana state as early as August of this year.

Here in Pennsylvania, meanwhile, we’re awaiting a House vote following the 40-7 Senate vote in favor of legalizing medical marijuana last month. According to recent polls, some 88 percent of Pennsylvanians support the measure.
Which, of course, means one thing: We’re counting on you for that other 12 percent, Montel. Don’t let us down.