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| Medical Marijuana Bill Fails in Senate |
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Posted by FoM on April 06, 2002 at 08:25:03 PT By Susan Gervasi, Journal Staff Writer Source: Prince George's Journal 
A measure that would have allowed Marylanders possessing marijuana for medical reasons to claim medical use as a court defense - and would have limited the penalty if found guilty to no more than $100 - failed 5-6 Friday in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. Sen. Leo E. Green, D-23rd-Bowie, cast one of the committee's six votes against the measure. Green is the only Prince George's representative on the panel. Maryland law holds that marijuana possession is a misdemeanor, subject to penalties including a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The Darrell Putman Compassionate Use Act, which passed the House of Delegates earlier this session, was sponsored by Del. Donald Murphy, R-Baltimore, whose bill had more than 50 cosponsors, or more than a third of the 141-member House. The measure was named for a Green Beret and Howard County farmer who died in 1999. Putman found smoking pot helped him cope with lymphoma, and he lobbied for its medical legalization. Although marijuana possession is a federal offense, eight states have laws allowing for its medical use, and federal officials have indicated no interest in prosecuting such users. ``This is a bad day for patients in Maryland, whose only crime is taking their medicine," said Billy Rogers of the Marijuana Policy Project, which lobbies for medical marijuana legislation throughout the country. ``We had an uphill climb in this committee. Last year in this committee, we lost the vote 7-3; this year by only one vote,'' he said. ``We'll be back next year, and we're going to win next year." Rogers said his group will let voters know which legislators ``stood in the way of patients getting their medicine." Source: Prince George's Journal (MD) Related Articles & Web Sites: Marijuana Policy Project Coalition for Compassionate Access Medical Marijuana Bill Killed by 1 Vote Medical Marijuana: Delegates Act With Compassion Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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