cannabisnews.com: The Cannabis Question
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The Cannabis Question
Posted by CN Staff on October 02, 2009 at 06:10:33 PT
Editorial
Source: Brown Daily Herald
Rhode Island -- Once again, Rhode Island is wading into muddy waters. In May the General Assembly approved a law mandating that the health department establish privately run medical cannabis dispensaries; the first is scheduled to open next year. Rhode Island would be only the third state to enact such a law, and it has a chance to improve on California's wild and unregulated system and New Mexico's tightly constrained delivery-only network. But the new program has some crucial flaws that the Assembly must admit and rectify.
In theory, the dispensaries should be an improvement over the state's current marijuana regime. Under a law passed four years ago, state residents with certain serious medical conditions can obtain legal authorization to grow cannabis for their personal use. The draconian federal marijuana prohibition prevents the Food and Drug Administration from conclusively verifying the real medical benefit of the substance, but many patients suffering from wracking diseases as well as allergies to painkillers have found it to be their only option for relief. Nevertheless, cultivation is not a simple or abuse-proof process. Many honest users with chronic pain have severe difficulties growing the plants. And some dishonest registrants turn their privilege into a business venture, selling their produce to recreational smokers. A cannabis dispensary -- carefully established, overseen and guarded -- would make the dealers easier to target and take a burden off of the suffering citizens who need the drug.But police officials have raised concerns that the bill makes no provision for protecting the dispensary from robbery and preventing sales to casual users. Historically, anxiety about cannabis distribution has often been rooted in hysterical misconceptions about the substance's effects and selfish political and economic conniving. But in this case, police concerns about dispensary security and protocols focus on the crux of the issue: the well-being of patients who depend on daily access to the drug. Dispensaries that surreptitiously flout the rules by selling to non-patients or phony patients risk shortages for legitimate users. And lax surveillance of the facilities could encourage burglary -- a very real threat in a state with nearly 13 percent unemployment -- which would provide a bonanza to local criminals and cut off patients' much-needed supplies. The bill also fails to provide funding to the health department for the establishment process and includes no mandate for oversight by medical professionals, a crucial element of a properly run dispensary program.Setting up dispensaries sloppily may be worse than not setting them up at all. It could encourage crime, endanger patients' supplies and discourage other states interested in similar ventures. The Assembly should admit its errors in the first bill and expeditiously design and pass legislation requiring close supervision by medical professionals and granting the health and police departments the funding they need to carefully establish and protect the dispensaries. This will not be easy. The state is saddled with a staggering deficit of nearly $62 million, and the Assembly has already had to override the veto of Governor Donald Carcieri '65 to pass the original medical cannabis statute as well as the dispensary law. Nevertheless, the Assembly must take responsibility for what it has set in motion and do the hard work necessary to make the dispensaries a boon to Rhode Island and an example to other states. Source: Brown Daily Herald, The (Brown, RI Edu)Published: October 1, 2009Copyright: 2009 The Brown Daily HeraldContact: letters browndailyherald.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/mleZPIdZWebsite: http://www.browndailyherald.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #20 posted by rancher on October 04, 2009 at 14:15:37 PT:
Museman...in Oregon many patients go without
MusemanIn Oregon, the law does allow patients to designate a grower. But now with 27,000 patients, it doesn't always work out. Growers are limited to growing for four patients so the search for good growers gets more difficult each month. There are now thousands of patients who are looking for growers. And yes, Voter Power and many other organizations help match patients with growers but they cant keep up. And my point is that the sickest patients are dying in hospitals and nursing homes. Do you really think it is easy for someone in that situation to find someone they can trust to grow marijuana for them?The Oregon system is also inherently unjust. Some patients find great growers but others designate growers who fail to provide enough medicine for the patient. Access to medicine shouldn't depend on having a green thumb or the right connections. Obtaining medical marijuana should be as easy as obtaining any prescription drug. In California patients have more choices. They can grow their own, they can designate a grower or they can shop at dispensaries. Initiative I 28 will just add dispensaries to Oregon patient's choices. THe initiative also creates a program to assist needy patients and for the Oregon Department of Human Services to conduct research into medical marijuana to set stnadards for quality control.This new initiative will improve Oregon's medical marijuana law.
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Comment #19 posted by Hope on October 03, 2009 at 07:48:25 PT
And... Canada. Oh, Canada.
Why did she give up her citizen to a foreign country and let him be forcibly confined in foreign prisons on this matter?Why?It reeks.
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Comment #18 posted by Hope on October 03, 2009 at 06:22:35 PT
If people knew
and knew the routes they took him and where he was held there would probably be people lining the routes with signs saying,"We love you, Marc Emery!" and "We don't need the DEA!"
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Comment #17 posted by Hope on October 03, 2009 at 06:08:34 PT
Marc Emery
I wonder why it hasn't been in the US news.The DEA and the government and all must really be proud of themselves. I wonder why they haven't done press releases all over the place. I wonder why it's not front page news, on TV and the radio, that they got their man. Their dangerous seed seller. Don't the citizens need to hear about how well the government is spending its resources? Don't we need to know about how much safer we are now that Marc Emery has been captured?They spent a lot of our money doing this to Marc Emery and crew. Don't they think the citizen needs to know about all the manpower and money spent on their project of protecting us all. Don't citizens need to know that they've got him and will be holding this dangerous man in prisons in this country now. For us. They did it for us. To protect the citizens. Why isn't it all over the US news?Marc Emery's jailers should be the ones jailed.He's a prince of a man in so many ways.I'm very sad about it. As we mentioned on another thread, it's sickening.I for one hoped and prayed that he wouldn't be put through this... that they'd drop it.They didn't. I'm sad for Marc and his family and friends and I'm mad at prohibitionists and the people in our government that let and caused this to happen. They are on my list of the evil and misled we must contend with in this world.Surely they can tout that capturing, shutting down, and imprisoning Marc Emery is bringing them another step closer to capturing and shutting down Bin Laden.Shut down the DEA. If they just have to keep their budget and people, put them to work doing something worthwhile. Like rebuilding stronger bridges, maybe.
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on October 03, 2009 at 05:07:44 PT
boballen131313
It's good too see you. I haven't done Canadian news for many years but we talked about Marc Emery and feel really bad for him and his wife. I'm not sure what we are suppose to do. Everyone knew this was what was going to happen when Marc plea bargained and agreed to a 5 year mandatory sentence.
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Comment #15 posted by afterburner on October 03, 2009 at 00:07:15 PT
About those Fractious Town Hall Meetings
[cover]
Rush Limbaugh: The Lunatics Are Running the Asylum
Vol. 15 No. 40 • October 1 -7, 2009
[Note: this link is good only for the above dates!]
http://www.viewmag.com/index.php[cover story].
VAN JONES FORCED TO RESIGN.
By Michael Terry.
Vol. 15 No. 40 • October 1 -7, 2009
[Note: this link is good only for the above dates!]
http://www.viewmag.com/coverstory.php
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Comment #14 posted by boballen131313 on October 02, 2009 at 23:07:05 PT:
MARC EMERY
I am gob smacked that Marc Emery's arrest has been completely ignored on this particular website. This is War people... We ain't won yet!
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Comment #13 posted by Sam Adams on October 02, 2009 at 13:08:34 PT
ORegon
the last time I was in Oregon - Portland - medical marijuana and non-medical seemed to be everywhere. I think the amount patients are allowed to grow & possess is very high so there's a lot floating around. I also noticed that every convenience store has a little selection of MJ pipes, bongs, papers, etc. One good thing about California is that it draws most of the federal attention away from the other medMJ states
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Comment #12 posted by museman on October 02, 2009 at 12:24:31 PT
oops
Please do not 'Repal Prohibition' just REPEAL IT!
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Comment #11 posted by museman on October 02, 2009 at 12:21:22 PT
Oregon providers
"In Oregon, patients are still struggling with a law that requires them to “grow their own”. For the sickest patients this just doesn’t work. "I guess it must be a lack of communication and networking, because that is an incorrect statement.I have an Oregon Medical Marijiuana card. But because I live in an area that has too much traffic and visibility, and the wrong conditions (not enough sun) I have to 'farm' out my 'legal six plants' to what is referred to in Oregon Medical Marijuana Law as a 'provider' who grows my allotment of plants for me, has been supplying me with herb when I run out, and will deliver an agreed upon amount to me at harvest time.Though I would like to be able to grow my own, because I know how, and my own bud has (almost) always been my favorite, I cannot, so I am literally in the same 'state' as the 'sickest patients' who cannot grow their own, I am however able to get my medicine through my provider, and so should any medical patient in Oregon, If they can't it's because they or their care providers aren't making the right connections.There are several places online that give this informaiton, so its not like its hidden.Ana I have to ask. Are you am Oregon medical marijuana card holder? Because thats the first I've heard of this 'problem.' And if it is a problem, i know for a fact that there are a lot of medical growers in this area that would love to help. And since it is also legal to transport medical marijuana from one card holder to another in this state, the only problem that could possibly be real is lack of talking to the right people. The wrong people; Cops, lawyers, (most) politicians, doctors and other institutional workers.Try voterpower.org -there must be some links to get people connected. I know the local medical community personnaly, so it hasn't been an issue for me, but I do know what is written in the law. The Oregon Medical Marijuana situation is better IMO than cali right now.REPAL PROHIBITION
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Comment #10 posted by rancher on October 02, 2009 at 11:58:16 PT:
LTE sent to Brown re RI dispensary
Your October 2 article calling on the legislature to already revisit Rhode Island’s medical marijuana dispensary law exaggerates the problems. In 1988 DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis Young called marijuana the “safest therapeutically active substance known to man.” Twenty one years later this is more true than ever. Your article points to the danger of burglars stealing the supply, but come on, we have jewelry stores, banks, pharmacies and all sorts of businesses that have valuable products that thieves want. Good security and responsible police can deal with thieves.Rhode Island should be commended for taking the lead and providing safe access to this valuable medicine. Every month new scientific studies point to new uses for medical marijuana. It now appears that products derived from marijuana may fight cancer and minimize damage from stokes. Making this medicine available to those who need it under medical supervision is an important part of health care reform.In Oregon, patients are still struggling with a law that requires them to “grow their own”. For the sickest patients this just doesn’t work. Congratulations to Rhode Island for doing the right thing.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 02, 2009 at 11:24:03 PT
ekim
That was interesting. Thank you.
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Comment #8 posted by ekim on October 02, 2009 at 10:26:40 PT
info on when to eat fruit
Eating Fruit....http://www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/node/9363
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Comment #7 posted by runruff on October 02, 2009 at 10:10:50 PT
Butt!
You misspelled "butt"! This matters when puchasing hats for Buttheads!
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Comment #6 posted by museman on October 02, 2009 at 09:49:01 PT
But
".. police officials have raised concerns"Don't they always? They've become the modern chicken little of cannabis prohibition -with fangs.Now that they are losing their lucrative war on us, they are puffing up their donutted chests and spewing forth their foul spirits in the form of the english language, acting like GW was still king, and going through withdrawals from their addiction to ill-gotten power.Cops, in general (with very very few exceptions) are without a doubt the scummiest scum of the earth ever allowed to walk upon it. The day is coming, and I will see it, no matter how much denial and status-quo ass-kissing is thrown at me/us like it was something other than pure tripe.The day is coming when that power these fools are trying to keep is but a distant memory, and I will see it. Less than a year ago, the world was under the shadow of some nasty people sitting in the highest office of this land. The shadow is still there, but the veil is torn, and everyone who really wants to can see the BS man-behind-the-curtain. Why even bother to give credence to these holdovers from the Nixon-Reagan-Bush-Bush Dark Ages?BAN THE POLICE
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on October 02, 2009 at 09:46:59 PT
CA story
Hope, I like that article - it's short but they keep harping on the cost of the operation. You can see the context of the state budget crisis is weighing on everyone's minds, and the most glaring waste of spending is right in front of us.it's been a long time but what is happening in California right now is extraordinary. Prohibition is hurting, it's still alive and kicking but the patient is very ill and the prognosis is not good!In LA the patient has died and they're currently shocking the chest with the pads but it's not responding! Prohibition is terminally ill in CA
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on October 02, 2009 at 08:16:25 PT
Yup
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n897/a05.html?397
38 Arrested in Pot BustI agree with Sheriff Allman, "He said there was no word for it but "obscene.""It was obscene. But I don't think it's obscene, probably, for the same reasons Sheriff Allman does.I think it's obscene that private property was invaded and plants stolen because of prohibition, and people harassed and arrested, and at obscene cost to humanity and government and resources paid for by the people, all the while leaving schools and libraries and hospitals more poorly funded.Yes. It's obscene.
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on October 02, 2009 at 07:27:26 PT
very poor piece
it sounds like these guys never read the law! The dispensary bill they passed was many pages long, full of regs for everything from doctor's approving patients, alarm systems and security guards, background checks, fees, fines, inspections, reviews by the DPH, reviews by a legislative committee.I thought Brown students were smart.
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Comment #2 posted by runruff on October 02, 2009 at 07:24:36 PT
A short history of Cannabis:
Found to be a plant of 1000 uses, it eventually attracted droves of enemies who could not compete. Hired wordslingers threw mud at the plant! Hired gunslingers shot resisters.Thus resulting in seventy years of mud and blood where cannabis roots grew even stronger in in the rich mixture.
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Comment #1 posted by Sm0k3y on October 02, 2009 at 06:22:13 PT:
Here's an idea
Decriminalize and you won't have to worry about these crazy recreational users getting their hands on these meds. When are we going to get someone to acknowledge prohibition doesn't work. I'm sick of reading about how something isn't going to work. People need this herb. People that are in need shouldn't have to put themselves through all this BS for a plant. A God forsaken plant. It's mind boggling to me. All these facts surrounding the subject and out government still plays stupid. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy seeing a lot of states supporting the issue. But it's time for America to grow up. If we can go buy guns/cigs/alchy/ most other things that can and will kill us.. What's the big f'n deal about a plant that has soooo many benefits.
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