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  Watson Presents His Version of Arrest in Conn. 

Posted by CN Staff on April 26, 2011 at 20:19:58 PT
By Katherine Gregg and Philip Marcelo 
Source: Providence Journal 

Providence --  In a televised speech on the House floor about his arrest in Connecticut last Friday on driving-under-the-influence and marijuana possession charges, House Minority Leader Robert A. Watson admitted to using marijuana to treat flare-ups of the pancreatitis that landed him in the hospital last November.Watson, R-East Greenwich, said he took a small amount of the drug with him when he went to Connecticut that day to help a friend move because he had had a pancreatic attack the day before, and wanted the drug handy if he had another severe one.
“I confess I did treat with marijuana on one of those rare occasions where I had that debilitating pain that literally had me flat on my back and wondering at what point do I decide an ambulance comes and takes me away. And I’ve got to confess it worked. It provided relief. And it alleviated the pain.”“I didn’t smoke marijuana that day because I didn’t suffer a relapse,” he said of the Friday of his arrest.But he acknowledged that he is not among the 3,428 Rhode Islanders legally authorized to use marijuana under the state’s medical-marijuana program because he feared his personal medical information would somehow leak out of the state Department of Health.A Health Department spokeswoman said: “We have been running the program for almost four years now and we have not released any patient’s names.”“Now I know that the Department of Health prides itself on the confidentiality of that program. But let’s face it,” Watson said. “I am a public official, as we all are. We’re a small state, and I am not certain that my privacy wouldn’t be compromised were I to do this medical-marijuana treatment in the proper form and fashion.”In his speech, Watson also raised questions about how he was treated by the police in East Haven, Conn., after one of the officers saw his General Assembly ID in his wallet, asked what it was and learned that he was a state legislator in Rhode Island. Snipped  Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/j1ydsPwWSource: Providence Journal, The (RI)Author: Katherine Gregg and Philip Marcelo, Journal State House Bureau Published:  Wednesday, April 27, 2011Copyright: 2011 The Providence Journal CompanyContact: letters projo.comWebsite: http://www.projo.com/CannabisNews  Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 

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Comment #9 posted by FoM on April 28, 2011 at 19:22:09 PT
konagold
Hopefully it all works out for you and everyone in your beautiful state.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by konagold on April 28, 2011 at 18:55:00 PT
bill deferred
bill deferred Josh Green caught a lot of flak and the bill was deferred and will not be heard again this legislative session [ next one is in January]the bad thing is that this was this first chance to get dispensaries and started off with 10 state wide then down to one now zip
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Comment #7 posted by ekim on April 27, 2011 at 09:51:36 PT
what abuse -- document it Sen.
HONOLULU -- State Sen. Josh Green, an emergency room physician from Kona, said he has seen too much abuse of the medical marijuana law, especially by young people who claimed severe, chronic pain in order to get a doctor to certify them as a marijuana patient.
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Comment #6 posted by dongenero on April 27, 2011 at 09:11:07 PT
Rep Robert A. Watson - R RI
Marijuana is equal opportunity medicine.It even works for lying, hypocritical, political dregs like Watson!And he gets a standing ovation from his peers in the legislature! Though it's not clear if the standing O from the legislature was for the cannabis use or the near DUI alcohol levels and drunk driving.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 27, 2011 at 07:40:52 PT
konagold
I hope it doesn't get any traction.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by konagold on April 27, 2011 at 06:21:50 PT
atn FoM trouble in paradise
Senate Plan Toughens Medical Marijuana Rules
Thousands Of Registered Users Might Lose Privileges
Daryl Huff KITV 4 News ReporterPOSTED: 4:30 pm HST April 26, 2011
UPDATED: 9:05 pm HST April 26, 2011
[EMAIL: Senate Plan Toughens Medical Marijuana Rules] Email [PRINT: Senate Plan Toughens Medical Marijuana Rules] Print
[COMMENTS: Senate Plan Toughens Medical Marijuana Rules] Comments
(3)
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Marijuana PlantHONOLULU -- State Sen. Josh Green, an emergency room physician from Kona, said he has seen too much abuse of the medical marijuana law, especially by young people who claimed severe, chronic pain in order to get a doctor to certify them as a marijuana patient.Green, who is the lead member on the senate side of the House-Senate conference committee on the issue, is proposing that chronic pain and nausea no longer be conditions that make a person eligible for a medical marijuana permit.Green said he supports the use of medical marijuana for people with cancer, muscular-skeletal illnesses such as MS, and for HIV-AIDS. But he is alarmed by a large number of people under 30, and even under 21, who have qualified.Green's proposal would allow a single "compassion center" marijuana dispensary as a test site for two years. His proposal is a dramatic rollback from the position of the Senate earlier in the session, allowing up to ten highly-regulated compassion centers on all islands.The state House has been much more conservative on the issue, proposing only a single dispensary as a pilot program, while also stiffening regulation of prescriptions.Medical marijuana advocates were unhappy with Green's proposal and said it would force thousands of current medical marijuana patients, who have received their cards for pain or nausea, to return their cards and stop using marijuana legally.Pamela Lichty, of the Drug Policy Forum, said doctors are the "gate keepers" of the program, and she said doctors are careful about who they qualify for the permits. She said Green's proposal seems to be giving in to unverified fears of law enforcement about widespread abuse.The conference committee will meet again Thursday to try and reach a compromise acceptable to both houses. http://www.kitv.com/politics/27682393/detail.html#COMMENTTOP
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on April 26, 2011 at 23:38:57 PT
Huzza! Huzza! For Comment 1
And you could be right, too, Runruff. You could very well be right.It's a shame, if what he's saying now is true, that he was afraid, or ashamed, to speak up for what he knew about the plant's amazing medicinal qualities. It's even more a shame that he had to make such unkind remarks about other people to try and cover up his fear, or whatever it was, of being found out. Handy for him that he is able to work at something where he isn't drug tested.We have many honorable, bold, and brave people, willing to come forward, stand up, and speak out about this issue. We have many of them... but obviously not this guy.Legalize it!
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Comment #2 posted by runruff on April 26, 2011 at 23:07:32 PT
Just a sarcastic comment.
I don't believe him for a minute. I believe that cannabis relieves his problem but I also believe he likes the herb and was planning to puff a little while he was working on this mundane project. A little herb can make a job more pleasant, and unlike having a few beers, you can still maintain decorum and have a good attitude.Let's face it; some times we don't like physical work or manual chores. I'm just being real here. I think it is just fine that he has discovered the joys of cannabis, just don't Bogart, that's all!
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 26, 2011 at 20:25:53 PT

Just a Comment
I am glad that Cannabis helps Mr. Watson with his pain from Pancreatitis. It's time to move forward and stop this nonsense and legalize marijuana for all the people in the USA that would find it helpful.
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