cannabisnews.com: Bipartisan Coalition Introduces Med Marijuana Bill Bipartisan Coalition Introduces Med Marijuana Bill Posted by CN Staff on February 12, 2004 at 19:08:30 PT For Immediate Release Source: Common Dreams Washington: Providence, Rhode Island -- A medical marijuana bill introduced last week in the Rhode Island House is supported by an unprecedented bipartisan coalition of legislators. Like the successful and popular laws in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawai'i, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, H.B. 7588 would permit seriously ill patients to use and possess medical marijuana with their doctors' approval, without fear of arrest or jail. Twenty representatives are signed on to the bill, including lead sponsor Thomas Slater (D-Providence). "This bill is about simple compassion and common sense. People fighting cancer, MS, or AIDS shouldn't have to suffer needlessly when medical marijuana can provide relief, and their doctors recommend it," said Rep. Slater.An identical medical marijuana bill was introduced on February 11 in the Rhode Island Senate by Rhoda Perry (D-Providence) and four other sponsors.Legislation to protect medical marijuana patients has drawn wide support from the medical and public health communities, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of HIV Medicine, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the American Nurses Association."Medical marijuana should be an option open to patients who are not benefiting from other medicines to improve HIV wasting," said Kenneth Mayer, M.D., director of the Brown University AIDS Program and chief of the Infectious Disease Division of the Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island."Right now, Rhode Island patients battling cancer, AIDS, or other life-threatening diseases face jail for trying to relieve their pain and nausea, but we are optimistic that this cruel and unnecessary policy will soon come to an end," said Neal Levine, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C.Complete Title: Unprecedented Bipartisan Coalition Introduces Medical Marijuana Bill in Rhode Island House Contact: Marijuana Policy ProjectKrissy Oechslin 202-462-5747 x 115 Source: Common Dreams (ME)Published: February 12, 2004 Copyright: 2004 Common DreamsContact: editor commondreams.org Website: http://www.commondreams.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by Wecre8it on February 15, 2004 at 08:38:48 PT MMJ Go Rhode Island!Above all else, medical marijuana is about lifting the human spirit... instilling a sense of dignity in an already suffering soul, and telling them is OK to make your 'self' feel better 'now'.Anything less is inhumane, and the now-point is a person's point of power.Knowledge is power, and wisdom is knowledge applied... [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 12, 2004 at 21:12:49 PT Important E-Mail News from Dale Gieringer DPFCA: Oakland Poll Shows 70% Support for Taxed & Regulated Cannabis For Adults February 11, 2004Press Contact: Clare Lewis (office 510 268 9979; cell 510 455 1179)Oakland voters want to tax and regulate cannabis sales for adult use, according to a poll conducted in January, 2004. Analysis of results find that voters in the City of Oakland are ready to make sweeping changes in the way the city handles its cannabis policy.Oakland voters want reasonable policy that keeps cannabis off the streets and away from children. Respondents want police resources to go towards solving violent crimes, while making enforcement of adult cannabis offenses the lowest priority for law enforcement. Additionally, voters say they are more likely to vote for politicians who support these changes in cannabis policy.Longtime Oakland resident and Calfiornia NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer says, "I'm glad to see the voters of Oakland are ready to deal with cannabis in a responsible and mature manner. It is possible to keep cannabis out of the hands of street dealers and away from children, if we tax and regulate it."Poll Findings:71% of Oakland voters support the taxed and regulated sale of cannabis to adults to keep it off the streets, away from children and to fund vital city services, once provided the details of proposed regulations.Police should focus on violent crime, not cannabis. 75% of voters believe that Oakland should make adult private cannabis use the lowest priority for law enforcement.Oakland voters prefer pro-cannabis politicians. Elected officials in support of the taxed and regulated sale of cannabis gain 8 votes for every three they potentially lose supporting this issue.600 interviews conducted with a margin of error of +4.0 pointsInterviews conducted by McGuire Research ServicesMembers of the press are invited to contact Clare Lewis, public opinion researcher and partner at Progressive Communications.Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml igc.org 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114 http://www.canorml.org/ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment