cannabisnews.com: Expansion of MMJ Law Gets Preliminary OK Expansion of MMJ Law Gets Preliminary OK Posted by CN Staff on February 28, 2007 at 16:10:12 PT By Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer Source: Associated Press Montpelier, Vt. -- State senators gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would expand a Vermont law that permits marijuana to be used to alleviate some medical conditions. The action came amid calls by two public officials to decriminalize the drug.But lawmakers were quick to point out that they were not approving decriminalization -- or even suggesting it. Neither were they taking a step toward legalizing pot, they said. "Vermont would remain the most restrictive state. It is well regulated," said Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington. "This is a baby step forward. I don't think it's earth-shattering."Vermont permits people with cancer, AIDS or multiple sclerosis to use marijuana to relieve some of the symptoms of their condition. They must register with the state and consult with a physician before they do.They're permitted to have a limited number of plants only for their own use.The bill acted on by the Senate -- which could get approval by the full Senate on Thursday -- would replace the specific diseases provision, allowing anyone with a "debilitating disease" to qualify if "reasonable medical efforts have been made over a reasonable amount of time without success to relieve the symptoms."That would mean that someone with shingles, a painful neurological condition, for example, could potentially qualify for marijuana use to relieve the pain, said Sen. John Campbell, D-Windsor."If they're getting relief (from marijuana), they should be afforded that," Campbell said.The bill comes at a time when two prominent Vermont officials have called for scrapping the existing criminal laws for marijuana possession in favor of legal, regulated use of it. Windsor County State's Attorney Robert Sand has suggested such a change, as has Barre Mayor Thomas Lauzon.Senators said they aren't considering that. "This is just one more tool in the tool chest to help people in those chronic situations," said Sen. Kevin Mullin, R-Rutland. "It does help people live with chronic pain that they're enduring."Besides expanding the conditions that would qualify, the bill also would increase -- from one to four -- the number of mature marijuana plants a patient could possess. Patients also could have ten immature plants, up from two, and up to 2 ounces of usable marijuana. Source: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Ross Sneyd, Associated Press WriterPublished: February 28, 2007Copyright: 2007 Associated Press Related Articles:Senate To See Rx Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22668.shtmlPanel Approves Expansion of MMJ Programhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22545.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by The GCW on March 01, 2007 at 05:45:30 PT FoM, The race is on to be 1st. The other day, FoM, indicated She thought Colorado would be 1st to RE-legalize partly because the Democratic convention is in Denver in 2008...As a Colorado sportsman, I hope Colorado is 1st.I think California and Michigan has a wonderful chance to come in 1st place.I hope the race is won sooner, but,,,If it comes down to the next national election day it could depend on time zones for the photo finish...Michigan is 1 hour ahead of Colorado is ahead of California.Central, Mountain & Pacific...I hope We don't have to wait till Nov. 2008, to award the GOLDEN BOWL.One thing's for certain:There will not be testing of performance enhancement drugsfor this race.Everyone: PUT ON YOUR RACE FACE. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by gloovins on March 01, 2007 at 02:43:06 PT Well folks - I think this the nxt huge dominoe... To Fall... IF she makes the ballot, I truly think this can pass come Nov 2008 in our blessed state (of reason) California (fm Jack Herer's site):Proposed Wording:California Cannabis Hemp & Health Initiative 2008AN ACT TO AMEND THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE OF CALIFORNIA:I. Add Section 11357.5 to the Health and Safety Code of California, any laws or policies to the contrary notwithstanding:1. No person, 21 years or older, shall be prosecuted, be denied any right or privilege, nor be subject to any criminal or civil penalties for the possession, cultivation, transportation, distribution, or consumption of cannabis/hemp/marijuana, including:(a) Cannabis hemp.(b) Hemp industrial products.(c) Hemp medicinal preparations.(d) Hemp nutritional products.(e) Hemp intoxicating products.2. Definition of terms:(a) The term "cannabis hemp" means the plant hemp, cannabis, marihuana, marijuana, cannabis sativa L, cannabis americana, cannabis chinensis, cannabis indica, cannabis ruderalis, cannabis sativa, or any variety of cannabis, including any derivative, extract, flower, leaf, particle, preparation, resin, root, salt, seed, stalk, stem, or any product thereof.(b) The term "hemp industrial products" means all products made from cannabis hemp that are not designed or intended for human consumption, including, but not limited to: clothing, housing, paper, fiber, fuel, lubricants, plastics, paint, seed for cultivation, animal feed, veterinary medicine, oil, or any other product that is not designed for internal human consumption; as well as hemp plants used for crop rotation, erosion control, pest control, weed control, or any other horticultural or environmental purposes.(c) The term "hemp medicinal preparations" means all products made from cannabis hemp that are designed, intended, or used for human consumption for the treatment of any human disease or condition, for pain relief, or for any healing purpose, including but not limited to: the treatment or relief of Alzheimer's and pre-Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, asthma, cramps, epilepsy, glaucoma, immunodeficiencies, migraine, multiple sclerosis, nausea, PMS, side effects of cancer chemotherapy, fibromyalgia, sickle cell anemia, spasticity, spinal injury, stress, Tourette's syndrome, wasting syndrome from AIDS or anorexia; use as an antibiotic, antibacterial, anti-viral, or anti-emetic; as a healing agent, or as an adjunct to any medical or herbal treatment.(d) The term "hemp nutritional products" means cannabis hemp for human consumption as food, including but not limited to: seed, seed protein, seed oil, essential fatty acids, seed cake, dietary fiber, or any preparation or extract thereof.(e) The term "hemp intoxicating products" means cannabis hemp intended for personal use, other than hemp industrial products, hemp medicinal preparations, or hemp nutritional products.(f) The term "personal use" means the internal consumption of cannabis hemp by persons 21 years of age or older for any relaxational, spiritual, religious, recreational, or other purposes other than sale, that does not conflict with any statutory law not effected by this initiative.3. Industrial hemp farmers, manufacturers, and distributors shall not be subject to any special zoning requirement, licensing fee, or tax that is excessive, discriminatory, or prohibitive.4. Hemp medicinal preparations are hereby restored to the list of available medicines in California. Licensed physicians shall not be penalized for, nor restricted from, prescribing or recommending cannabis hemp for medical purposes to any patient, regardless of age. No tax shall be applied to prescribed hemp medicinal preparations. Medical research shall be encouraged.5. Personal use of hemp intoxicating products.(a) No permit, license, or tax shall be required for the non-commercial cultivation, transportation, distribution, or consumption of cannabis hemp.(b) Testing for inactive and/or inert residual cannabis metabolites shall not be required for employment or insurance, nor be considered in determining employment.6. Commerce in cannabis hemp intoxicating products shall be limited to adults, 21 years and older, and shall be regulated in a manner analogous to California's wine industry model. For the purpose of distinguishing personal from commercial production, up to 12 pounds (192 ounces) of dried, cured cannabis hemp flowers/bud (not leaf) produced per adult, 21 years or older, per year shall be considered as being for personal use.7. The manufacture, marketing, distribution, or sales between adults of equipment or accessories designed to assist in the planting, cultivation, harvesting, curing, processing, packaging, storage, analysis, consumption, or transportation of cannabis hemp plants, industrial hemp products, hemp medicinal preparations, hemp nutritional products, hemp intoxicating products, or any cannabis hemp product shall not be prohibited.8. No California law enforcement personnel or funds shall be used to assist or aid and abet in the enforcement of Federal cannabis/hemp/ marijuana laws involving acts which are hereby no longer illegal in the state of California.II. Repeal, delete, and expunge any and all existing statutory laws that conflict with the provisions of this initiative.1. Enactment of this initiative shall include: immediate release from prison, jail, parole, and probation, and clearing, expungement, and deletion of all criminal records for all persons currently charged with, or convicted of any cannabis hemp/marijuana offenses included in this initiative which are hereby no longer illegal.2. Within 60 days of the passage of this act, the Attorney General shall develop and distribute a one-page application, providing for the destruction of all cannabis/hemp/marijuana criminal records in California for any such offense covered by this act. Such forms shall be distributed to district and city attorneys and made available at all police departments in the state to persons hereby affected. Upon filing such form with the Attorney General and a payment of a fee of $10.00, all pertinent records anywhere in the state of California fisted in the form and covered by this act shall be destroyed. Such persons may truthfully state that they have never been convicted of any cannabis/hemp/marijuana related offense which is hereby no longer illegal.III. The legislature is authorized upon thorough investigation, to enact legislation using reasonable standards to:1. License concessionary establishments to distribute hemp intoxicating products in a manner analogous to California's wine industry model. Sufficient community outlets shall be licensed to provide reasonable commercial access to persons of legal age, so as to discourage and prevent the misuse of and illicit traffic in such products. Any license requirement or fee shall not be excessive, discriminatory, nor prohibitive.2. Place an excise tax on commercial production of hemp intoxicating products, analogous to California's wine industry model, so long as no excise tax or combination of excise taxes shall exceed $10.00 per ounce.3. Determine an acceptable and uniform standard of impairment based on performance testing, to restrict persons impaired by hemp intoxicating products from operating a motor vehicle or heavy machinery, or otherwise engaging in conduct that may affect public safety.4. Regulate the personal use of hemp intoxicating products in enclosed and/or restricted public places.IV. Pursuant to the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, the people of California hereby repudiate and challenge Federal cannabis/hemp/marijuana prohibitions that conflict with this act.V. Severability: If any provision of this act, or the application of any such provision to any person or circumstance, shall be held invalid by any court, the remainder of this act, to the extent it can be given effect, or the application of such provisions to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby, and to this end the provisions of this act are severable.VI. Construction: If any rival or conflicting initiative regulating any matter addressed by this act receives the higher affirmative vote, then all non-conflicting parts shall become operative.VII. Purpose of Act: This act is an exercise of the police powers of the state for the protection of the safety, welfare, health, and peace of the people and the environment of the state, to protect the industrial and medicinal uses of cannabis hemp, to eliminate the unlicensed and unlawful cultivation, selling, and dispensing of cannabis hemp; and to encourage temperance in the consumption of hemp intoxicating products. It is hereby declared that the subject matter of this act involves, in the highest degree, the ecological, economic, social, and moral well-being and safety of the State and of all its people. All provisions of this act shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of these purposes: to respect human rights, to promote tolerance, and to end cannabis hemp prohibition.Michigan's has the 2nd best chance in '08 to pass a legal cannabis constitutional amendment (that what it is in Mich - they amend their Constitution) I believe...info on that is here:http://www.geocities.com/kaczmaster/Michigan_Marijuana_Petition.htmlMichigan residents I implore you to act & join & gather sigs, this is our 2nd best shot I beleive....Hi FoM btw - thanks for the thanks on posting the Irv Rosenfeld testimony before the Mich Lg'sltr. Much love to all here C-news Remember, "We are family...!" -- The Pointer SistersPS Would love to know everyone's thoughts on chances...both in Mich & Calif of these proposals...:) [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by ekim on February 28, 2007 at 20:26:25 PT thanks for all you are doing mayan i was able to see 911 truth and lies tonight on link tv on dir tv ch 375what a masterpeice of news footage of what did happen.man the duby ports deal stank http://blog.leap.cc/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by mayan on February 28, 2007 at 18:43:32 PT Another Smoking Gun Another Smoking Gun? Now CNN Jumps the Gun: On 911 CNN Announced WTC 7 "Has Either Collapsed or is Collapsing" Over an Hour Before it Fell: http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=20521Now we just have to find out who told the BBC and CNN that WTC 7 was going to collapse! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment