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!]
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.
Rhode Island MMJ Bill Passes Through to Senate
April 28th, 2009 by Rick
With a unanimous vote on Wednesday, the Rhode Island state Senate committee on Health & Human Services approved a medical marijuana bill for the second year that would allow designated dispensaries known as Compassion Centers to grow and sell marijuana to the state medical marijuana patients.
In certain circles it’s a mixed blessing. Bobbi Brady, 42, of North Providence, said:
Just because you are able to have it doesn’t mean that you can get it.
Kirk Manter, 53, of Warwick an opponent of the bill said:
I will fight to defeat the bill, rather than have it pass just for the sake of something passing, because I believe it is in the wrong direction.
A medical marijuana patient himself, he believes that patients should be able to turn to clubs like his, where they give their excess marijuana away to medical marijuana patients for ‘donations’. He told reporters:
No one gets turned away when they contact us the first time and they are in need. [...] Then, we will help people with plants [to] get them started, teach them how to do a garden, grow it themselves.
Rep. Thomas Slater, sponsor of a similar House bill says:
Licensing a nonprofit compassion center would solve the problems by allowing a safe, state-regulated place for patients to get their medicine.
However, Rhode Island’s own Governor Carcieri, may be an opposition to the bill. Earlier before, Governor Carcieri vetoed a compromise plan to study the Compassion Centers. Carcieri said the study would:
Move Rhode Island further down the path of weakening the laws governing — and public perception of — illicit drugs [...] that it is Congress’ constitutional responsibility to regulate the interstate drug market, whether legal or not. [...] I will not stand idly by as the state flagrantly violates federal law for the promotion of an illegal controlled substance.
This year’s bill may stand a chance though, especially since the Obama Administration signaled that the federal raids on dispensaries would end on those dispansaries that abide by their state law.
Rhode Island Possibly Next to Decriminalize
March 26th, 2009 by Rick
Following its sister states Massachusetts and Connecticut in the New England family, Rhode Island is introducing a bill that would decriminalize possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, making it a civil violation punishable by fine rather than jail time.
The bill sponsored by Sen. Leo R. Blais, R-Coventry, would not make possession of an ounce or less of marijuana legal, but it would reduce penalty for such possession from up to a year of jail time to a civil violation with a maximum $100 fine and forfeiture of the marijuana. The laws concerning possession with intent to sell would not be changed. I guess this idea is better than the alternative where people get whisked away to jail. Still, losing your marijuana and having to pay a fine for it… harsh. That’s like paying for the bag of weed all over again and getting nothing out of it. What, do they hope that people will just give up smoking after being busted a few times? That just might work because people won’t be able to afford to pay the fines and then get another bag of weed, thanks to this wonderful economy.
This idea just won’t work or solve anything because the drug traffickers will still be putting their product into the streets. Going after the user is never the answer. Do they think that if they bust the user then the drug traffickers business will drop? No, ten more people will be right there willing to take their place. In fact, they’ll probably only catch 1 out of 10 people that possess pot. This approach doesn’t work for prostitution and it won’t work for marijuana.
The only way to stop the drug traffickers is to legalize it. If they legalize marijuana then the users would go to commercial retailers or grow their own. The drug traffickers would be out of business, having to go legit or be forced to drop out of the game. The violence associated with some drug traffickers would diminish and money would be made that would be going toward the state. If you’re fair about it, people will pay… if you’re greedy, then they will just take some space in their basement and start an indoor crop of their own and keep it on the black market.
Blais said he thought his bill had a 60-percent chance of passing this session. He attributed the lack of vocal opposition to last year’s passage of the medical marijuana law, saying it showed support for easing the penalties concerning a small amount of the drug.
Blais said:
We approved medical marijuana. That horse is already out of the barn and in the next field.
Yeehaw… let’s get the show on the road. It’s going to be like a game of Russian Roulette, people feeling more confident to possess weed when they know they’ll get a fine, instead of going to jail. It’s not the cure, but it’s a step in the right direction. Wow, think about how the show Cops will be, with all these states wanting to decriminalize marijuana.
