New Hampshire Ready for Medical Marijuana?
June 25th, 2009 by Rick
New Hampshire is trying to become the 14th medical marijuana state as their state legislature passed a bill on Wednesday that would allow chronically ill patients to seek treatment using medical marijuana. The bill is now on it’s way to the Governor.
Governor John Lynch isn’t like those other drones that blindly follow the drumbeat of the neo-cons and drug warriors. He actually wants to study the bill before he signs it into a law.
One of the smart things that the legislature had done was ensure that patients nor caregivers could grow the marijuana, instead “compassion centers” or non-profit medical marijuana dispensaries will be organized.
Will New Hampshire learn from California’s mistakes? They already seemingly have, by limiting those that can “game the system.”
RI Governor Vetoes MMJ Bill, Congress Overrides
June 16th, 2009 by Rick
As threatened, Governor Donald Carcieri of Rhode Island vetoed a bill that would allow three dispensaries called compassion centers to be set up that would sell medical marijuana to chronically ill patients.
Carcieri said in his veto message:
Although the intent of the legislation is to allow consenting adults to use marijuana only for medicinal purposes based on illness, the increased availability, along with a complacent attitude, will no doubt result in increased usage, and will negatively impact the children of Rhode Island.
Rhoda E. Perry, the Senate sponsor of the bill wasn’t worried:
I believe we have the intent and the numbers to override the veto.
Perry was right because they easily overrode the veto with votes of 68-0 in the House and 35-3 in the Senate.
Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. said:
We are seeing a historic shift to allowing state-licensed, regulated medical marijuana production and distribution. [...] Combining regulated distribution with provisions for patients to grow a limited quantity for themselves is the best way to assure safe access for patients, with solid safeguards to prevent abuse.
Despite what the Governor believes about the dispensaries being at risk for prosecution by the federal government, the override of this veto shows the true power of politics and that those “checks and balances” do eventually come into play.
[Thanks, Bruce!]
Marijuana Reform Bill HR 2835: Does It Do Enough?
June 16th, 2009 by Rick
Although the Marijuana Reform Bill HR 2835 that was introduced by Barney Frank into Congress, has hopes to do something about the current state of chaos surrounding marijuana, there are people that believe it’s just another veil to fuel the deception of the war on drugs. MinistryOfTruth, at the Daily Kos breaks it down.
- The Bill seeks to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I (which are drugs that have NO medicinal value) to a Schedule II (which are drugs deemed to have some medicinal value) and have the “create a regulatory framework for the FDA to begin a drug approval process for marijuana.” MinistryOfTruth blames prohibition and the cost of the war on drugs which led to our chasing of our proverbial tail. There are some experts that believe more money can be saved and gained from legalization.
- The DOJ left a message for Barney Frank via their website, saying that Marinol was an excepted accepted use of medical marijuana, a synthetic THC. What MinistryOfTruth says about the big pharma companies and drug sources from around the world is true. Why haven’t they been able to slow the heroin and opium trade?
- H.R. 2835 has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. MinistryOfTruth makes a good point. Before Obama said marijuana couldn’t “grow the economy”. Now all of a sudden a panel is meeting to discuss the potential of it having an impact on commerce?
The only reason they are going through the motions of reform is because of pressure. Pressure from the American public — popping their heads out of the sand and seeing what is really going on with our country and prepared and ready to do something about it.
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.
Delaware Senate Committee Approves MMJ Bill
June 8th, 2009 by Rick
Who is going to be the 14th state to legalize medical marijuana? Delaware is a state that just may be in the running.
A medical marijuana bill for patients with “debilitating medical conditions” passed the Delaware Senate health and social services committee last Wednesday, during a 90-minute hearing where no member spoke against the bill.
The main sponsor, Sen. Margaret Rose Henry commented that the bill would need to be “revised and clarified” before having it move to the Senate.
Garden State May Become Greener
June 5th, 2009 by Rick
New Jersey may just become the 14th state to legalize medical marijuana for chronically ill patients. On Thursday, the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee approved the medical marijuana bill that the senate had passed, with an overwhelming eight to one (with two abstentions) vote.
The bill already has the backing of State Attorney General Anne Milgram saying “it’s workable” and Governor Jon Corzine has already said that he would sign the bill into a law.
If passed into a law it would allow patients whose doctors have determined them to be chronically ill to be issued an identification card that lets them grow six plants or obtain the medical marijuana at an “alternative medicine center.”
Middlesex Police Chief James Benson, representing the State Association of Chiefs of Police, said:
It will lead to increased marijuana use, increased crime, and an increased threat to public safety.
A co-sponsor of the bill, State Senator Fred Scutari, said:
It will be the most restrictive law in the U.S. … with the most safeguards in terms of abuse.
Per usual, law enforcement officials at a local level continue to repeat the rhetoric that has been whispered into their ears by drug warriors. It doesn’t matter if a state declares medical marijuana legal, city officials and their law enforcement can seemingly do whatever they want when it comes to circumventing a law.
Ammiano’s Proposed California Legalization Legislation
February 25th, 2009 by Perry
Yesterday, Tom Ammiano proposed a piece of legislation to California’s House of Representatives that would legalize marijuana in the state.
Click here to see a copy of the bill [Warning: PDF], which includes significant rewrites of California’s health codes, and lists a few of the nuances listed in the bill to make the legislation appealing.
For example, part of revenue generation would be a $5,000 license for all those who want a commercial license to sell medical marijuana. The law would also make the legal usage age 21 officially, so teens would have to wait a few years to purchase legally.
It Could Be That Much Better to Live in Michigan
September 19th, 2008 by Perry
For the first time, Michigan is placing a piece of medical marijuana legislation on the ballot.
This could be huge. A blue state for the previous four elections, I think one of the big surprises of this move has to be why it took so long. Perhaps its consideration as a traditionally-valued, mid-western state may have contributed to the delay. Regardless, the fact that such a state could put such a proposition on the ballot, indicates a positive shift in thinking across the heartland.
