cannabisnews.com: Senate To Vote on Legalizing Medicinal Marijuana





Senate To Vote on Legalizing Medicinal Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on March 12, 2003 at 16:43:55 PT
By Ross Sneyd, Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Montpelier, Vt. -- Senators voted Wednesday to make Vermont the ninth state in the country to legalize using marijuana to treat pain and other symptoms of debilitating diseases. A final vote on the initiative, which still could be amended, is scheduled for Thursday. ''It's come so close to being so totally stopped and then it gets a life of its own,'' said a smiling Debbie Ramsdell of Charlotte, who has been lobbying for the law since her husband Bob died of colon cancer. 
The bill, which passed its preliminary vote 22-7, would permit people with terminal or chronic diseases who met a list of criteria to use marijuana to treat their pain, nausea, seizures or wasting syndrome. ''It is our belief that this bill is the right message,'' Senate Health and Welfare Committee Chairman James Leddy, D-Chittenden, attempting to refute critics who say legalizing medical use of marijuana sends the wrong message to children tempted by drugs. ''It is compassionate rather than punitive.'' The bill would contradict federal law, which prohibits possession or use of marijuana for any use. Advocates noted that 99 percent of marijuana cases were prosecuted in state courts and they said they doubted the U.S. Justice Department would start going after small cases of people using marijuana for medical purposes. ''Compassion dictates that we pass this bill and pass it today,'' said Sen. John Campbell, D-Windsor. ''I look to the federal government and I say, `Shame on you for not taking a look at this and doing something.''' Ramsdell and other advocates have described how critically ill people have used marijuana to control their nausea and therefore continue eating. Others have said it controls their pain when traditional medicines have not. But some senators nonetheless were worried about bucking the federal government. ''I was sworn in to uphold that law,'' said Sen. Julius Canns, R-Caledonia. Leddy and other members of the Health and Welfare and Judiciary committees said they put a number of provisions in the bill to protect against abuse. Marijuana would still be illegal for recreational use. ''The sale of marijuana is illegal; the possession of marijuana is illegal,'' said Sen. John Bloomer, R-Rutland. ''We've created an exemption from prosecution.'' To qualify for such an exemption, someone would have to be suffering from cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, HIV, AIDS of diseases that produce ''severe, persistent and intractable symptoms,'' such as nausea or pain. They then would have to obtain a special card from the state indicating that they were using marijuana for medical purposes. They could possess no more than 2 ounces, three mature plants or four immature plants. The marijuana would have to be kept under lock and key and patients could only grow marijuana indoors in a locked room. Currently, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have laws allowing the medical use of marijuana. The Vermont bill, if it wins final approval Thursday, still needs to pass the House, where it faces an uncertain future. And Gov. James Douglas repeated again that he didn't like the bill, although he refused to say he'd veto it if it reached him. ''I'm not prepared to support that,'' Douglas said. Complete Title: Senate To Vote on Legalizing Medicinal Use of Marijuana Source: Associated PressAuthor:  Ross Sneyd, Associated PressPublished: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmCommittee Backs Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15408.shtmlVermont Study Endorses Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14742.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by BigDawg on March 13, 2003 at 05:45:19 PT
Sam Adams said it for me.
I thought our legislators were supposed to MAKE laws. And the ones WE want at that.
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on March 12, 2003 at 19:45:02 PT
He said it...
''I look to the federal government and I say, `Shame on you for not taking a look at this and doing something.''' The Senator was talking to You, Mr. Bush.
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on March 12, 2003 at 18:26:16 PT
What a complete crock
Sworn to uphold the law?  What an IDIOT. Police are sworn to uphold the law - Politicians are supposed to MAKE laws! His brain must have frozen over after too many cold nights on the farm or something. Inbred moron.What does is say about American society that the people we choose to run our government - the government for whom we personally work for until May 25th of each year - are such dumb people??
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Comment #2 posted by afterburner on March 12, 2003 at 17:24:27 PT:
Upholding the Law and the Constitution.
But some senators nonetheless were worried about bucking the federal government. "I was sworn in to uphold that law," said Sen. Julius Canns, R-Caledonia. Do not forget, Senator Canns, that Harry J. Anslinger bamboozled the states into joining the federal government's campaign against cannabis, using racial slurs, like the term "marijuana," and not one shred of medical and/or scientific evidence in 1937. Prior to that deception, states had full authority to regulate medical practice under the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution. By recalling state's medical rights you would be upholding the law and the Constitution, not opposing it.ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
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Comment #1 posted by Virgil on March 12, 2003 at 17:02:02 PT
The states should call for legalization
 "I was sworn in to uphold that law," said Sen. Julius Canns, R-Caledonia. Marijuana would still be illegal for recreational use." The sale of marijuana is illegal; the possession of marijuana is illegal,'' said Sen. John Bloomer, R-Rutland. "We've created an exemption from prosecution."What is this idiot talking about. It is much more simple than people make it out to be. A state has laws and the federal government has laws. With cannabis you could get hit with a left from the state and then a right by the federal government. A state could make a law saying cannabis is not illegal without breaking any law. It does not protect someone from federal insanity, but it would show that the leaders of a state had some sense to quit prosecuting people for a crime with no victim and that would improve the quality of life for everyone inluding improving the substance abuse problem.I don't know why California is not so fed up with it all they don't remove all state laws against cannabis and if the federal government wants to imprison someone for cannabis let them clog their own courts and prisons. Give them aa bitch slap California and introduce a bill to remove California out of the tyranny and stupidity of cannabis prohibition.Time for the 70's show. It is about my favorite show on television. I hope they don't show a bong and get arrested. 
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