Jerry McNerney, PhD Biography
- Title:
- Member of the US House of Representatives (D-CA)
- Position:
- Now Pro to the question "Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?"
- Reasoning:
-
“In the past year, the congressman has met several patients with debilitating illnesses that use doctor-prescribed medical marijuana. Hearing their stories, he feels that he cannot in good conscience deny doctor-prescribed treatment to a person that experiences excruciating pain on a daily basis.”
Statement from Rep. McNerney’s spokesman, Andrew Stone, as reported by the Oakland Tribune, July 11, 2008
[Editor’s Note: Prior to the July 11, 2008 statement above, Rep. McNerney was classified as Con based on his July 26, 2006 statement explaining why he voted against the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which would have cut off funding for federal efforts to stop states from allowing medical marijuana use.]
“We are facing a drug crisis with meth and other drug use on the rise. Until we get a handle on the crippling drug use in our society, I cannot support the relaxation of current drug policy.”
Edward Epstein, “McNerney Draws Fire from Backers of Medicinal Pot / Freshmen Dems Blamed in Defeat of Plan to Stop Feds,” San Francisco Chronicle, July 27, 2007
- Theoretical Expertise Ranking:
-
Experts
Individuals with MDs, PhDs, JDs, or equivalent advanced degrees in fields relevant to medical marijuana. Also top-level government officials (such as foreign leaders, US presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court Justices, members of legislative bodies, cabinet members, military leaders, etc.) with positions relevant to medical marijuana issues. - Involvement and Affiliations:
-
- Member, US House of Representatives (D-CA), Jan. 4, 2007-present
- CEO, Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Power, 2004-present
- Member, House Committee on Energy & Commerce
- Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Power
- Member, Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade
- Member, Subcommittee on Environment and Economy
- Former member, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; Highways and
- Transit; Water Resources; and Environment subcommittees
- Former member, House Committee on Veterans Affairs
- Former member, House Committee on Science and Technology
- Former energy consultant, PG&E, FloWind, and the Electric Power Research Institute
- Senior Engineer, US Windpower (Kenetech), 1985-1994
- Former National Security Contractor, Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico
- Education:
-
- PhD, Mathematics, University of New Mexico, 1981
- MS, University of New Mexico, 1975
- BS, University of New Mexico, 1973
- Other:
-
- Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on June 18, 1951
- Legal name is Gerald M. McNerney
- Twitter handle: @RepMcNerney