cannabisnews.com: Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill





Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill
Posted by CN Staff on June 07, 2005 at 17:51:54 PT
By Elizabeth Zuckerman, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press 
Providence, R.I. -- The state Senate approved a medical marijuana bill on Tuesday, aiming to make Rhode Island the 11th state to shield from prosecution those who use the drug to treat health problems.The measure would allow those licensed by the state to possess up to 12 marijuana plants or two and a half ounces of usable marijuana. Senate lawmakers approved the bill 34 to 2.
The vote came a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people who use marijuana for medical purposes can still be prosecuted under federal law even if their home states permit their marijuana use.Gov. Don Carcieri has said he will veto the bill if it makes it to his desk."This bill would give Rhode Island citizens a false sense of security and would place them in danger of federal prosecution," said Carcieri's spokesman, Jeff Neal.Neal said additionally, the governor does not believe the bill has enough safeguards to make sure the marijuana would not be misused."This bill would allow virtually anyone in Rhode Island to grow and distribute marijuana to anyone they pleased," Neal said.The state Health Department and law enforcement officials have also come out against legalizing the medical use of marijuana.But Sen. Rhoda Perry, the bill's sponsor, said protecting patients with conditions like AIDS and cancer who have a doctor's recommendation that they use marijuana is the right thing to do.Perry, D-Providence, said she was moved to submit the legislation six years ago when her nephew, who has since died, was suffering the complications of AIDS and lymphoma.The Senate approved an amendment Tuesday naming the bill for Perry's nephew, Edward O. Hawkins.But senators rejected a proposed amendment that would have allowed medical marijuana users to be prosecuted for driving or operating a boat or plane under the influence if they were found to have traces of the drug in their blood.The amendment's sponsor, Sen. Leonidas Raptakis, D-Coventry, said it was needed to prevent impaired driving.But other senators argued medical marijuana users could still be prosecuted for operating under the influence if they showed other evidence of impairment.Since it takes all traces of marijuana a long time to leave the bloodstream, Sen. Charles Levesque, D-Portsmouth, argued it did not make sense to allow prosecution solely on the basis of a blood test.The bill now goes to the House, which has already held a committee hearing on a similar bill.Source: Associated Press (Wire)Author:  Elizabeth Zuckerman, Associated Press WriterPublished: Tuesday, June 7, 2005Copyright: 2005 The Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmMy Confessional Appeal for Medical Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20764.shtmlMarijuana is Justified as Medicine http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20718.shtmlSenate Committee Passes Medical Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20708.shtml 
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Comment #9 posted by jose melendez on June 07, 2005 at 22:17:51 PT
polls take toll on anti-pot rhetoric
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n904/a06.html?397 " . . one poll in President Bush's home state last fall, The Scripps Howard Texas Poll, found that 75 percent of residents in the Lone Star State favored a bill in the state legislature to use marijuana to treat symptoms of cancer and other serious illnesses.  Among the sample of 900 Texans, 67 percent of Republicans favored medical marijuana. "These are not exactly latte-sipping liberals with a permissive attitude on drug use," Merkin said.  "When Republicans from George Bush's own state of Texas express by a margin like that their support for medical uses of marijuana, you know that this is not exactly a case of the conservative bloc universally in favor of a policy." 
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 07, 2005 at 21:24:48 PT
Poll: Seattle Post Intelligencer 
Should the use of marijuana for substantiated medical reasons be legal? Current Results: 28.0% -- Yes, it makes no sense to add prosecution to sick people's suffering. 0.5% -- No, it's a dangerous drug that's an entrée to even more dangerous ones. 68.6% -- Yes, marijuana use should be decriminalized for everyone. 2.9% -- No, this whole "medical" marijuana business is hooey. Total Votes: 207 Please Vote: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/227513_medweeded.asp
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Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on June 07, 2005 at 20:52:39 PT
Wow!
Rhode Island is a cool state! I had no idea. 34 to 2? That's crazy! This will be unprecedented. If I'm not mistaken, didn't they amend the bill to include non-profit distribution centers? (or was that NY?)It's especially cool that they had the cajones to basically spit in the fact of the federal government. Very, very few states would do that. Perhaps this is echo of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, a whiff of personal freedom & tolerance handed down throught the ages.Carceiri's gonna look like a real great guy after his veto is rammed up his ***, isn't he?
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Comment #6 posted by runderwo on June 07, 2005 at 20:51:24 PT
hey jose
I thought the exact same thing. I'm thrilled when I see politicians saying something about cannabis that is actually true!
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on June 07, 2005 at 20:40:02 PT
I Have a Question
I'm watching the Daily Show and thinking about all that has happned since the Supreme Court Ruling. There is one thing I have thought about and wondered if I was the only person to think about this. I don't pay attention to beer or alcohol commercials or news about alcohol. Do they ever show a person drinking a beer? I don't think I've ever seen a person on tv chugging a beer but maybe someone has. Why do they show people smoking Cannabis instead of showing people talking about Cannabis and show the gardens instead. Just a question I've had after watching the news on the ruling the last two days. 
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Comment #4 posted by jose melendez on June 07, 2005 at 20:11:29 PT
Yes! an honest politician
"Since it takes all traces of marijuana a long time to leave the bloodstream, Sen. Charles Levesque, D-Portsmouth, argued it did not make sense to allow prosecution solely on the basis of a blood test."The word is getting out . . . the above quote would seem to be evidence that the liars against cannabis are being exposed as such.
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Comment #3 posted by Taylor121 on June 07, 2005 at 19:30:33 PT
Gov. Don Carcieri POWERLESS
Nothing Gov. Don Carcieri can do :)Does the name "Don" have any other implications ?
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on June 07, 2005 at 18:58:52 PT
The score is 34 to 2.
Gov. Don Carcieri should sit and spin on His veto. Perhaps Carcieri et al. doesn't play ball:The score IS 34 to 2.Not 2 to 34.THCUPart of the problem is they can not accept the score.When the game is over and the score is 34 to 2...Imagine a bicycle racer coming in 32nd place out of 34 racers and still insisting He won.
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Comment #1 posted by mayan on June 07, 2005 at 18:22:03 PT
Carcieri
Gov. Don Carcieri has said he will veto the bill if it makes it to his desk.If this bill passes the House we should definitely let Carcieri hear it. I imagine he's already hearing it with all of the media attention of the past two days! THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...9/11 News Summary - 9/11 news breakthroughs with links to media news articles:
http://www.wanttoknow.info/050605news911
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