cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - April 10, 2008 NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - April 10, 2008 Posted by CN Staff on April 10, 2008 at 14:24:15 PT Weekly Press Release Source: NORML Minnesota House of Representatives to Consider Medical Marijuana Bill -- Despite Bi-Partisan Support, Governor Indicates He May Veto April 10, 2008 - Minneapolis, MN, USAMinneapolis, MN: The Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee approved a medical marijuana bill without debate in a 13-4 vote on Wednesday, which will now head to the House floor for debate and vote. Senate File 345 was passed by the Minnesota Senate last year. As Minnesota has a two-year legislative session, should the House pass this legislation this year, the bill will head to Governor Tim Pawlenty’s desk.If passed, this legislation would create a program to produce cards for qualifying patients through the Minnesota Department of Health that would permit them to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, and would also provide for the creation of non-profit organizations to produce up to twelve plants per patient.The measure has enjoyed sponsorship and support from both sides of the aisle. Rep. Chris DeLaForest (R) says of growing Republican support for medicinal cannabis, "To me, this is the ultimate conservative issue. It’s about keeping government out of the doctor-patient relationship." Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) has indicated that he will likely veto any medical cannabis legislation that reaches his desk. In the past, Governor Pawlenty has cited the opposition of law enforcement groups as a primary cause of his opposition to the measure. After Wednesday’s vote, Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Campion, a Pawlenty appointee, stated that "[the Governor] hasn’t changed his position since last year."Since the Senate passed this legislation last year, the American College of Physicians, the largest organization of doctors of internal medicine in the country, released a policy paper in support of legal access to medicinal cannabis for seriously ill patients.Twelve states already have legalized the medical use of marijuana. Additionally, an initiative in Michigan that would enact medical cannabis laws will be on the ballot this November.For more information, call Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500. Minnesotan supporters of SF 345 may email their state representative and Governor Pawlenty via:http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=11219636&type=TA&show_alert=1 DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7574 Comedian Doug Benson Offers NORML Supporters Free DVD of New Film Super High Me For 4/20 April 10, 2008 - Los Angeles, CA, USALos Angeles, CA: Longtime NORML supporter and comedian Doug Benson is offering NORML members the opportunity to host their own screenings for his new comedic documentary Super High Me. A parody of the well-known documentary Super Size Me, Super High Me is an experiment of the effects of medical cannabis on the human body.As part of his journey, Doug smokes, eats and vaporizes medical marijuana for thirty consecutive days in order to get "Super High." But there is a catch–first Doug must go thirty days without any marijuana and undertake a number of tests, completing the same tests while medicated and while sober, in an effort to find out what marijuana does and how it really affects people.The filmmakers are employing a revolutionary ‘open access’ marketing scheme to promote the film, and as such are pleased to offer free DVDs of the film to NORML chapters, members, and supporters, in order for them to have the opportunity to screen the film this April 20th.Interested parties should direct their web browser to the film’s website at www.superhighmemovie.com and register to host a screening or find an existing screening in your community.For more information, contact NORML Outreach Coordinator Ron Fisher at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7576 Rhode Island Senate Committee Unanimously Approves Medical Cannabis Measure April 10, 2008 - Providence, RI, USAProvidence, RI: The Rhode Island Senate Committee on Health and Human Services unanimously approved Senate Bill 2693 Wednesday. S 2693, along with its companion bill, House Bill 7888, would regulate the distribution of medical marijuana by allowing a non-profit state-licensed facility to provide medical marijuana to Rhode Island's licensed patients. Earlier in the week, the committee heard testimony in favor of the bill from state-licensed patient Buddy Coolen of Warwick, who was recently robbed at gunpoint while attempting to obtain the cannabis he is permitted under state law.Meanwhile, the Rhode Island House Health, Education, and Welfare Committee held a hearing, but took no action on House Bill 7888 on Tuesday. While the Senate version was approved overwhelmingly in committee, the reception was decidedly cooler on the House side. Chairman Joseph McNamara (D) said that he "didn’t see a lot of general support for this legislation at this time," while chief sponsor Rep. Thomas Slater (D) said that as a compromise, the creation of a commission to study the problem was likely, with an emphasis on passing legislation next session based on its recommendations. Governor Carcieri vetoed the initial legislation to create a medical cannabis statute in Rhode Island, which was overridden by the legislature. The Democrat-dominated legislature has regularly overridden the Governor’s anti-medical cannabis veto in the past.If both the House and the Senate pass different versions of the bills, a conference committee will have to come up with a compromise bill. Given that any bill will likely need the votes to override a veto, it is likely that the final bill would be similar to the House version.For more information, contact NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7575Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: April 10, 2008Copyright: 2008 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 11, 2008 at 08:54:19 PT Off Topic: Free Preview Weekend on Starz Since there isn't any news I thought some might want to check out the free movie weekend on Starz. Plus Rust Radio is on for the whole weekend. Happy Spring!http://www.rustradio.org/http://www.starz.com/appmanager/seg/s [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 10, 2008 at 21:13:48 PT Off Topic: Al Gore Unveils New Slideshow Video: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/10/al-gores-new-slideshow_n_96138.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment