cannabisnews.com: House Override Turns Marijuana Bill Into Law










  House Override Turns Marijuana Bill Into Law

Posted by CN Staff on January 03, 2006 at 19:05:56 PT
By Jack Perry, Journal Staff Writer 
Source: Providence Journal 

Providence, R.I. -- The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted today to override Governor Carcieri's veto last year of a bill that decriminalizes the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The 59-13 vote, with three legislators not voting, makes Rhode Island the 11th state to shield such users from criminal prosecution. The vote came as the House reconvened this afternoon for its 2006 session.
It also makes Rhode Island the first state to enact medical marijuana legislation since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that state medical marijuana laws do not provide protection from federal prosecution, according to the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. The bill would protect patients from arrest under state law for using marijuana to treat pain from certain serious and chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis, cancer, AIDS and hepatitis C. Patients whose doctors recommended the treatment would receive registration cards from the state to allow them, or their caregivers, to possess up to 12 plants, or 2.5 ounces of marijuana. The House and Senate approved a medical marijuana bill last June, but Governor Carcieri vetoed it. The Senate voted to override Carcieri's veto before recessing last summer, but House leaders did not call their members back for an override session. The legislation notes that medical research has discovered beneficial uses for marijuana in treating or alleviating pain, nausea and other symptoms associated with some medical conditions. Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington already permit the medical use and cultivation of marijuana, according to the legislation. In vetoing the bill, Carcieri argued that "the debate over the efficacy of medical marijuana is by no means settled, contrary to the assertions made in the legislative findings." Calling marijuana an "addictive narcotic," the governor said he feared that the law would increase the abuse of a drug that is "already the most widely-available and commonly-abused illicit drug in Rhode Island." Carcieri complained that the bill would give Rhode Islanders "a false sense of security against criminal prosecution," noting that the "U.S. Supreme court has ruled that state marijuana laws don't trump federal laws criminalizing the possession of marijuana." The legislation says that 99 percent of marijuana arrests are made under state law so the bill would protect the vast majority of people who need medical marijuana. Complete Title: House Override Turns Medical Marijuana Bill Into LawWith reports from Journal State House writer Scott Mayerowitz and projo.com staff writer Jack Perry Source: Providence Journal, The (RI)Author: Jack Perry, Journal Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, January 3, 2006Copyright: 2006 The Providence Journal CompanyContact: letters projo.comWebsite: http://www.projo.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/ Legislators Override Carcieri’s Marijuana Vetohttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21435.shtmlHouse Overrides Carcieri's Marijuana Vetohttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21434.shtmlHere's Hoping Compassion Wins The Votehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21433.shtml 

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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on January 04, 2006 at 06:54:11 PT
Carceiri
That's an awful lot of quotes from a guy who just got his butt kicked, in public. What, did they feel sorry for him?
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Comment #4 posted by Patrick on January 03, 2006 at 22:16:55 PT
Nice
Very Nice. Makes we want to give a rasberry to all the prohibs and say neeeener neeeener but that would be childish. splaaaattttttttzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz neeeener neeener
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Comment #3 posted by OverwhelmSam on January 03, 2006 at 20:26:12 PT

Great Way To Start 2006
I feel like I work at McDonalds because I'm Lovin it!
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 19:48:42 PT

News Brief from United Press International
Cannabis-Like Compound Prevents Bone Loss***JERUSALEM, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Israeli researchers have developed a prototype drug to prevent osteoporosis using substances produced in the body that act like those found in cannabis. Researchers from the Bone Laboratory of the Hebrew University found that endocannabinoids, which are produced mainly in the brain, are present also in the bone and other tissues and have similar effects to those of the active components in hashish and marijuana, produced from the cannabis plant. The study, published in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A.), says endocannabinoids bind to and activate two receptors, CB1 and CB2. A study of genetically engineered mice lacking the CB2 receptor found that the CB2-deprived mice developed severe osteoporosis, similar to that which appears in humans. The researchers have developed a new synthetic compound, HU-308, which activates CB2 and slows the development of osteoporosis in mice. This compound forms the basis for a cannabinoid-based, anti-osteoporotic type drug which has also been found to be free of any psychoactive side effects. Copyright: 2006 United Press International, Inc. http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060103-094741-3713r
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 19:46:32 PT

News Brief from The New York Times
RHODE ISLAND: NEW MARIJUANA LAW ***January 4, 2006Rhode Island has become the first state to enact a law sanctioning the use of medical marijuana since the Supreme Court ruled in June that the authorities could prosecute users, even in states with laws that allow its use. The State House of Representatives overrode the veto of Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, a Republican who rejected the measure last year, 59 to 13. Rhode Island is the 11th state to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes. KATIE ZEZIMA (NYT)http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/04/national/04brfs.html
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