cannabisnews.com: Foes Protest Limits on Medical Pot





Foes Protest Limits on Medical Pot
Posted by CN Staff on October 14, 2003 at 08:50:54 PT
By Eric Bailey, Times Staff Writer
Source: Los Angeles Times 
Sacramento — A rift within the medical marijuana movement widened Monday over a measure signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis that for the first time establishes the amount of cannabis a patient can possess and sets up voluntary patient identification cards.The bill by state Sen. John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara) limits a patient or caregiver to half a pound of dried marijuana and six mature or 12 immature plants, though it leaves room for physicians to recommend more and permits cities or counties to allow higher amounts.
The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, has angered some of the medical cannabis movement's most passionate activists, who believe it rewrites Proposition 215. The 1996 medical marijuana ballot measure did not set limits on how much a patient can possess. Bill Panzer, an Oakland attorney who helped draft Proposition 215, called the Vasconcellos legislation an "anti-medical marijuana law" that will tread on the doctor-patient relationship, put an unrealistic limit on some patients most in need and embolden narcotics officers who might make more arrests in some parts of the state."Patients don't need protection in San Francisco, they need protection in places like Bakersfield and Fresno," Panzer said. "This is only going to cause more arrests in spots like those."The more moderate wing of the medical marijuana movement has thrown its weight behind the new law, saying it settles some of the problems that have bedeviled the state since passage of Proposition 215.In particular, they applauded the introduction of an identification card system, which will provide photo documentation so patients can avoid arrest if confronted by a police officer."Local cops will be able to tell bona fide patients from illegal, so-called recreational, users," said Glenn Backes of Drug Policy Alliance, a national drug policy reform group. "Think what that means for potential patients: They no longer have to worry that following their doctor's recommendation will land them in jail."In some parts of California, police and prosecutors have tended to take a zero-tolerance stance on medical marijuana, which can be used to combat AIDS wasting, nausea from cancer chemotherapy, glaucoma and other illnesses. Elsewhere, law enforcement leaders have consistently complained that their officers have a hard time distinguishing between patients and recreational users. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/420.htmSource: Los Angeles Times (CA)Author: Eric Bailey, Times Staff WriterPublished: October 14, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Los Angeles TimesContact: letters latimes.comWebsite: http://www.latimes.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/ Davis Signs Medical Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17554.shtmlGroups on Both Sides Oppose Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17412.shtmlMedical Marijuana Card Bill Goes To The Governorhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17354.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #10 posted by John Markes on October 15, 2003 at 08:55:54 PT
Let me see if I understand this...
The state of California now has specific limits on how much a patient may posess. Counties may set their limits higher than the state's limit. Cities may set limits higher than state or county limits. Doctors may set limits higher than city, county or state limits...It seems the patients have more options on limits protected by law now. And doctors have more protection as well on authorizing higher amounts. So what's wrong with this? It's better than what I've seen elsewhere.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by E_Johnson on October 14, 2003 at 19:26:14 PT
Prop 215 in reality
Prop 215 set no limits on quantity, therefore patients ended up having to explain their quantiative medical needs to prosecutors and juries in competition with vengeful lying police.In order to avoid having every single patient go through this laborious process, communities opted for the shortcut of having community cultivation guidelines. In liberal communities they are liberal and in redneck counties they are minimal to nonexistent.In Los Angeles County nobody in the DA's office will commit to any guidelines, they just tell us myteriously that no medical patients will be prosecuted, but they don't say that no medical patients will be ARRESTED.Prop. 215 only protects people from PROSECUTION but not ARREST. The police can arrest as many patients as they want to under Prop. 215 -- Prop 215 only prevents the DA's from prosecuting them.SB420 protects patients from being arrested.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 14, 2003 at 19:04:42 PT
charmed quark 
Thank you. I understand but what can be done about the now signed Bill? I say make it work. It is bringing more respectibility to Medicinal Cannabis and that is needed. I know there are limitations but it might help many people that were afraid to even grow one plant. It would be a good thing if we had something like this Bill in my State too.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by charmed quark on October 14, 2003 at 18:46:04 PT
The proble with the bill, FOM
Is that proposition 215 purpously did not prescribe limits on the amount of marijuana, letting the patient decide how much he needs. The new bill basically puts limits on what was approved in the referendum. So it may be a power struggle between those who beleive direct democracy via referendum in sacrosacnt,vs. the goverment.I have no real opinion. I only wish we had something even remotely close to this in the MidAtlantic region.-Pete
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on October 14, 2003 at 13:01:20 PT
He's a victim of his own success
Once medical marijuana made its way out of the Libertarian circle politically, it was going to be handled by the mainstream in a mainstream way. And this is the mainstream way to handle it.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by ekim on October 14, 2003 at 12:56:40 PT
Thanks Steve for --the rest of the stroy
it just means that those who follow will have more 20/20 to work with. its evolving comming alive. the debate will cover many facts that are not well know to most. does anyone have a place in Oakland where the debate with Govt. spokes person John Walters and Dennis Kucinich hosted by Mayor Jerry Brown and Reffed by New Gov Arnold. The debate will focus on the Govt standing that Cannabis has no medical value and the State has no right to allow Cannabis use. Everyone is welcome to ask there own questions the Cnews maybe could vote on what ones to ask. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on October 14, 2003 at 12:56:25 PT
So Steve's an American again eh?
"Opposed by patients" -- how democratic and libertarian of him to sit there in Canada and speak as if he spoke for every single one of the patients who stayed here.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 14, 2003 at 12:04:14 PT
Related Article By Steve Kubby
http://www.sierratimes.com/03/10/14/ar_med_pot.htm
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 14, 2003 at 10:30:10 PT
EJ I Don't Understand
Why is there such trouble with this Bill? I might need to unsubscribe to my california lists I get because it really is bothering me. This isn't perfect but I wish we had something like this in our state.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on October 14, 2003 at 10:25:20 PT
Just a little dishonesty
Call me old-fashioned, but when you go out in public and say that you hate America and hate Americans and never want to return to America ever again and want to become a citizen of another country, then you are being dishonest when you present yourself to the American public as the direction of an American organization.
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment