Overwhelming Majority, RI Senate Passes MMJ Bill
June 10th, 2009 by Rick
With over 680 medical marijuana patients registered with the State Department of Health, the Rhode Island Senate voted on Tuesday, in an overwhelming 30 – 2, in favor of authorizing three “compassion centers” to distribute medical marijuana. The bill now heads to the desk of Governor Don Carcieri, who already vetoed medical marijuana bills, but according to his spokeswoman Amy Kempe, she’s not sure what he will do this time.
Other opponents of the bill are the Rhode Island State Police who have voiced concern over the fact that authorities say some of the medical marijuana dispensaries in California are being operated by drug traffickers and were mere fronts. This may be true, but George DesRoches smokes marijuana for chronic pain and fibromyalgia. He’s said that he’s been robbed when trying to procure marijuana from the street and/or when he grows his own. Catch-22.
If the bill passes Rhode Island would be the third state (along with California and New Mexico) to have medical marijuana distributed via a dispensary or compassion center. Medical Marijuana has been legal in Rhode Island since 2006, allowing medical marijuana patients to grow 12 marijuana plants or have 2.5 ounces of dried marijuana.
Even if the Governor vetoes the bill, it’s passed through with enough of a majority that overriding a veto would be academic. It’s doubtful that the Governor would even bother vetoing the bill with a successful override looming. After all, he was against the studies of the compassion centers. Yet now, he doesn’t think three of them being on the radar is too disconcerting.
