cannabisnews.com: Nicastro Unhappy With Marijuana Bill 





Nicastro Unhappy With Marijuana Bill 
Posted by CN Staff on May 23, 2007 at 06:17:53 PT
By Jackie Majerus, The Bristol Press
Source: Bristol Press
Bristol, CT -- A proposal to legalize the medical use of marijuana in Connecticut - a bill now before state lawmakers - has state Rep. Frank Nicastro upset. The Bristol Democrat, who represents the 79th District, said he would argue this week against the bill that proposes legal, "palliative" use of the drug. "I have some real strong concerns," Nicastro said.Nicastro says the bill encourages people to break the law by growing and using marijuana.
The proposed bill would allow a patient or caregiver - assuming they are at least 18 years old and have a doctor's permission - to grow up to four marijuana plants, up to 4 feet high in a secure, indoor place.The doctor's statement must say that the patient has a debilitating illness and that the benefits of the use of marijuana would outweigh any detriment to the patient.Patients or caregivers must also register with the state Department of Consumer Protection and pay a $25 fee to begin growing the plants, Nicastro said.The bill does not allow purchasing marijuana for medical use, only growing it, he said.The drug cannot be prescribed by a doctor or dispensed by a pharmacist, said Nicastro, because it is illegal.Under the bill, once it is grown, the plant can then be used medically, but it is up to the grower to dispense with any unused portion, Nicastro said, adding that there is no one checking to make sure a grower is only cultivating four plants and not letting them get higher than 4 feet.Besides the question of what to do with unused marijuana plants, Nicastro sees another potential problem."How are we going to protect the plants from being stolen?" he asked.The bill also does not address how to obtain the seeds to grow the plants, Nicastro said."What we're saying is go out and purchase the seeds illegally," said Nicastro. "Here we are telling people to go out and break the law."That's especially disturbing to Nicastro, a former Bristol mayor and current city councilor, who spent many years as the city's truant officer. He said he attended or presided at more than 100 DARE graduations. Nicastro said the message this bill sends to children, "truly troubles" me.Nicastro said the intent of the bill is to try to provide something that relieves people who are in pain from cancer or multiple sclerosis."I have all the compassion in the world for anybody that's in pain," said Nicastro, but he said this isn't the way to ease the pain."Marijuana is an illegal substance by federal law," the legislator said.Making a medical exception under state law wouldn't change that, Nicastro said, and state residents who used or grew marijuana for medical purposes wouldn't be exempt from federal prosecution, even if Connecticut law allowed it.Passing this bill into law would put vulnerable, sick residents at risk, said Nicastro, because it would not shield marijuana growers and users from federal prosecution.It might also put federal funding for Connecticut at risk, he added.The bill, if passed - and that is a possibility - would take effect Oct. 1."It has very strong backing," Nicastro said.Source: Bristol Press (CT)Author: Jackie Majerus, The Bristol PressPublished: May 22, 2007Copyright: 2007, The Bristol PressContact: editor bristolpress.comWebsite: http://www.bristolpress.comRelated Articles:Ease Patients' Suffering with Access To Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22933.shtmlMarijuana Bill on Shaky Legal Ground http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22822.shtmlState Should Legalize Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22818.shtml 
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Comment #7 posted by dongenero on May 24, 2007 at 07:30:45 PT
afterburner
Exactly.
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Comment #6 posted by afterburner on May 23, 2007 at 21:55:05 PT
dongenero #5
Brilliant. Challenge the feds with their own statistics and procedures!
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Comment #5 posted by dongenero on May 23, 2007 at 13:34:07 PT
Irv Rosenfeld
The feds send cannabis to Irv under the IND federal medical marijuana program, to the tune of 3/4 of a pound per month.4, 4 foot plants is nothing. Probably 1/4 to 1/2 pound at best indoors. And that is for a 3 month growing season. Irv gets about 2 1/4 pounds over the course of 3 months.I just cannot understand how the states have such issues figuring out medical marijuana possession limits when the Federal IND program sets limits that are obviously working.Wake up.
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Comment #4 posted by tintala on May 23, 2007 at 13:03:38 PT:
Nicastro said the message this bill sends to child
If they are soo worried about what children are exposed to on a daily basis, they just conveniently forget about the alcohol ,tobacco , sex and pharmanceuticals (along with their side effects which always sound worse than the ailment) ads that our society is force fed by , movies , commericals , ads in magazines, and etc. Oh i forgot GUNS also. Go after guns not plants!
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Comment #3 posted by OverwhelmSam on May 23, 2007 at 10:53:41 PT
The Bully State
Bribing the States to Incarcerate Marijuana Users, with our own money. If Ron Paul can make the IRS go away, I'm behind him one hundred percent.Nicastro, the federal government is wrong, be a man instead of a crybaby and vote for medical marijuana. 
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on May 23, 2007 at 08:58:58 PT
LTE 
I just sent a letter to the editor complementing them on what a great job they're doing as a free PR firm for Rep. Dicastro.Isn't it nice that Big Government now serves as a truant officer for ALL people. This is, of course, what DARE is all about - preparing the kids to serve as wards of the corporate state for their whole lives. 
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Comment #1 posted by Zandor on May 23, 2007 at 08:57:49 PT
What else is new!
It's all about the money!"It might also put federal funding for Connecticut at risk, Nicastro said"He does not care about the people in his state only the money the Federal Gov may not give him. He should know that the feds will give him even more money if they have a medical law. That's how it works you pass the law they give your cops even more money and better guns so serve their no knock warrants.
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