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| MMJ Patients Need Safe, Consistant Source of Drug |
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Posted by CN Staff on May 05, 2011 at 06:20:55 PT By W. Zachary Malinowski, Journal Staff Writer Source: Providence Journal 
Providence -- The anger and dismay over last week’s warning that federal authorities “could consider” criminal and civil action against anyone affiliated with three proposed medical-marijuana dispensaries moved to the State House on Wednesday for a lively rally featuring several patients and representatives of two of the centers. Speakers expressed their disappointment in what they see as a course reversal by federal authorities from an October 2009 Justice Department memorandum that stated the federal authorities would not waste their resources “on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.” JoAnne Lepannen, executive director of the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, said that neither U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha, nor anyone else from the federal government expressed any concerns about the prospect of dispensaries after the General Assembly passed a law in 2009 that allowed up to three of them to open. She said there seems to be a misunderstanding about the mission of the nonprofit centers, saying that they would be here to provide medicinal marijuana to patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions. She said the customers would be the state’s “most vulnerable population.” Lepannen and several other speakers said the dispensaries, also known as compassion centers, would provide an alternative for state-licensed medical-marijuana patients who buy cannabis on the street or from unscrupulous caregivers. The state licenses as caregivers people who grow marijuana for the licensed patients. Caregivers may grow up to 24 plants for no more than five patients. One patient at the rally, William Cotton, 41, of Warwick, said he traveled to Prairie Avenue in South Providence to buy marijuana for his chronic health problems, including pancreatitis, and was robbed by a teenager who placed a gun to his head. Several of those attending the rally had signs that read, “Keep the Feds Out of Our Meds,” “Compassion Now,” and “I Am Not a Criminal.” Earlier in the day, the Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union called upon Governor Chafee to ignore Neronha’s threat Friday to prosecute a range of people involved in dispensary operations, should they begin, and issue licenses to the three dispensary organizations recently approved by the state Health Department. They are the Thomas C. Slater Compassion Center in Providence, Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Portsmouth and the Summit Medical Compassion Center in Warwick. Snipped Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/S2l97Vcd Source: Providence Journal, The (RI) CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help
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| Comment #9 posted by FoM on May 05, 2011 at 16:50:53 PT |
| Thank you for understanding because many people do like Obama but won't participate in arguments. As Americans we should be allowed to decide our own opinion and not be told we are wrong. The only way we can avoid being insulted is to not get into it at all. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #8 posted by por1 on May 05, 2011 at 16:45:31 PT:
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| I dont hate anyone. I dont agree with the way the country is going. It has little to do with cannabis and everything to do with freedom! With all due respect, most people who still think Obama is great , are being played. Fall for all the false flag bull. I for one won't be brain washed. I will go back to lurking so you won't have to have different opinions posted [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by FoM on May 05, 2011 at 15:25:21 PT |
| I agree. From the bottom up not the top down is what President Obama said and what I think is the right way. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by dongenero on May 05, 2011 at 15:10:26 PT |
| That's where, We the People come in. We need patience and perseverance. It's working and we're still making headway. It's like a market trend. The stock sector may be down for today. It never just goes straight up. But, the longer term trend line for cannabis freedom is still going up, up, up. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by dongenero on May 05, 2011 at 15:01:58 PT |
| That said....history will very possibly show Obama to be the best President of the last 40+ years. He's facing some financial conditions that were handed to him, that I think are irreparable. The financial services sector is still very sick and has not really been addressed, other than putting it on a ventilator (quantitative easing, adding liquidity, printing money). Republicans are calling many of the legislative shots now and they are showing no intention of fixing the deregulation and lack of oversight that allowed this financial sector collapse. It was very profitable for the top players in the sector, and their political friends. It cost the rest of us dearly. As for his historic role as it relates to cannabis....it remains to be seen. But these DOJ actions are bad and they look bad. Marijuana is such a point of attack for Republicans and conservatives, if there is sea change from Obama, I've never expected touching the "third rail" of political cannabis phobia until the end of a term. But, there is still bottom up groundswell that could carry weight. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 05, 2011 at 15:00:02 PT |
| He just accomplished something amazing getting bin laden. He wouldn't be considered the worst president in history just because of this recent success. I am thankful for what he is doing for our Veterans. There is more to being a good president then an issue about dispensaries. Please don't think I will put up with hate because I won't. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #3 posted by por1 on May 05, 2011 at 14:23:27 PT:
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| No not the missunderstood angel. This puppet going down as the worst president in history, and we have had our share of bad ones We have to rid ourselfs of all these republcrats or we are done as a nation, if we are not allready. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by Paul armentano on May 05, 2011 at 12:05:28 PT |
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Alternet: What’s Behind The Obama Administration’s About Face Regarding Medical Marijuana? [excerpt] “Mr. Obama’s … true intention is to stifle the development of any viable legal cannabis distribution industry. By sending threat letters to Rhode Island and Arizona, states that have created clear and unambiguous laws for medical cannabis providers to follow, it is obvious that Mr. Obama isn’t opposed to medical cannabis, per se, but terribly opposed to medical cannabusiness. “If (medical cannabusiness) establish (themselves), people will become accustomed to safe, secure, well-run businesses that deliver consistent, reliable, tested cannabis products. They’ll appreciate the way these places revitalize sagging economies, provide jobs, and contribute taxes to budget-starved localities. They’ll realize all the scaremongering by the government about what would happen if marijuana was legal, even for sick people, was hysterical propaganda. [And] they’ll begin to wonder why we don’t just legalize cannabis for everyone, create more jobs, raise more revenue, and use these established businesses as the distribution points.” [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by dongenero on May 05, 2011 at 11:54:03 PT |
| Obama's Sudden, Senseless Assault on Medical Marijuana Hate to kick the man when he's up but, we either have a handful of rogue DA's and/or we have a lack of clear leadership and position on this issue from the top. I'm sure I heard Holder say they wouldn't target MMJ as it abides with state laws, but was it double speak? Are they parsing definitions of targeting and parsing what states are allowing? They are clearly trying to prevent states from initiating new rules and regulations regarding distribution of MMJ. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-morgan/obama-medical-marijuana_b_857852.html [ Post Comment ] |
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