cannabisnews.com: Medical Pot Bill Debated
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Medical Pot Bill Debated
Posted by CN Staff on March 05, 2010 at 04:35:40 PT
By Gene Davis, DDN Staff Writer
Source: Denver Daily News
Colorado -- A state bill that would place more limits on Colorado’s sprouting medical marijuana industry got its first hearing at the state Capitol yesterday.House Bill 1284 would give local municipalities the right to ban dispensaries from operating within city limits and require all medical marijuana grown and sold to be linked to a dispensary. Because of the large number of people who testified on the bill, a decision on whether to pass or kill the measure was postponed.
Supporters of the bill say the current status quo of little regulation for the state’s booming medical marijuana is unacceptable. They champion HB 1284 as a compromise consisting of common sense regulations. “We need to do something and we need to show the leadership at the legislature to say this is the action we’re going to take to implement this regulatory framework,” said bill sponsor Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs.But opponents of the bill say the measure would end up harming seriously sick patients who depend on their constitutionally protected medicine.Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado, a medical marijuana-lobbying group, believes that allowing cities to ban dispensaries would force seriously sick patients to travel great distances to get their medicine. Massey, however, thinks that municipalities should have the right to ban the retail dispensary model from operating within city limits. Colorado is a home rule state, meaning cities in many cases are allowed to make decisions for themselves separate from state law.Many medical marijuana activists also oppose requiring a medical marijuana grow operation to be linked to a dispensary. Activist Timothy Allen argued that the forced vertical integration would drive up price and limit variety for patients. “It’s simply a terrible idea,” he said in a rally that proceeded yesterday’s hearing.However, Massey says that the vertical integration model is necessary so the marijuana can be tracked. The measure would effectively shut down independent grow operations that don’t team up with dispensaries.  Public TestimonyPublic testimony at yesterday’s hearing exceeded five hours. The speakers ranged from a recovering drug addict who said that marijuana led to him becoming a heroin addict, to a terminally ill patient who said medical marijuana helps alleviate her pain. And that was just within the first five people.Colorado Attorney General John Suthers’ office, several district attorneys and doctors voiced their opposition to HB 1284. They argued that the measure would legitimize the retail dispensary model, which they believe is a backdoor way to legalize marijuana. But Massey preempted their arguments, saying before the public testimony started that a sign of good bill is having people on both sides be at least somewhat unhappy with it. Amended VersionThe legislation debated yesterday was an amended version of Massey’s original proposal that included requiring dispensaries to operate as non-profits.Despite the changes, prominent medical marijuana attorney Rob Corry said that the amended version is “just as bad the previous bill.”HB 1284 is the second medical marijuana reform bill to make its way through the legislature this session. The first bill from Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, requires patients under the age of 21 to get a second doctor’s opinion before being able to obtain a medical marijuana card and forbids doctors from receiving money from medical marijuana dispensaries. The bill is on its way to Gov. Bill Ritter’s desk for a signature.Denver City Council in January unanimously approved a bill that limits where dispensaries can be located, who can run them, and what safety measures dispensary owners must have in place.All of the bills seek to clarify Amendment 20, the measure approved by voters in 2000 that allows for seriously ill Coloradans to use medical marijuana. Source: Denver Daily News (CO)Author: Gene Davis, DDN Staff WriterPublished: Friday, March 5, 2010 Copyright: 2010 Denver Daily NewsContact: editor thedenverdailynews.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/iwPoYXwwWebsite: http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #5 posted by Had Enough on March 05, 2010 at 23:28:01 PT
We need a Green Hornet...
But this just might do...***Look...Up in the sky!!!It’s a Bird...No...It’s a Plane...No...It’s Cannibisman...The legendary Man of Green, assumes the secret identity of Joe Hemply, mild-mannered farmer for Green Acres. And with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, he battles for truth and justice as Cannibisman!!!
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Comment #4 posted by dongenero on March 05, 2010 at 10:29:37 PT
the "reformed"
A reformed substance abuser will always be the most vociferous voice for prohibition. Only to be surpassed perhaps by the abuser's parents.In all sympathy and respect, I don't need your personal mistakes limiting my freedoms, please.Besides, that man's problems are not a legislative problem but, a health care problem. 
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on March 05, 2010 at 09:05:46 PT
Had Enough
"...he might have been placed there by the ‘Drug Warriors’ just to say that stuff."Could have; kind of like an informant position. Government officials could coerce the guy to show up one way or another. A person in hot water uses His imagination to get out of the doghouse. Brownie Points...Even if the recovering addict is honestly not coerced to to speak out but is doing so on His own... there is plenty of stuff... An addictive personality, there are people who purchase cannabis and then when the cannabis salesperson is out of stock they try the whiskey instead of getting the beer they went there for...In most any case, yes, the guy wasn't facing a big bad bud that held Him down and main-lined Him. And then there are the government studies that the prohibitionist's themselves have which prove cannabis is not a gateway drug.Heck it's not even a drug! It's a plant.It's the SUPERPLANT.-0-Like the tomatoe or shamrock that goes into the phone booth; there's a puff of smoke and the plant emerges as
SUPERBUD, with it's heavenly green cape and all... to save the world.
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Comment #2 posted by Had Enough on March 05, 2010 at 08:51:14 PT
Public Testimony 
“”Public testimony at yesterday’s hearing exceeded five hours. The speakers ranged from a recovering drug addict who said that marijuana led to him becoming a heroin addict, to a terminally ill patient who said medical marijuana helps alleviate her pain. And that was just within the first five people.””He led ‘himself’ to becoming a junkie...his choice...the cannabis didn’t make him shoot stuff in his veins...he did...willingly, and knowingly...On another hand...he might have been placed there by the ‘Drug Warriors’ just to say that stuff.
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Comment #1 posted by dongenero on March 05, 2010 at 08:08:10 PT
Rep. Tom Massey
“We need to do something and we need to show the leadership at the legislature......."I think this is why there are voter referendums. The People do not necessarily need nor want your brand of leadership.Do you think you might consider such a clearly supported voter referendum to be a "nudge" in direction from those whom you are to represent, Rep. Massey? 
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