cannabisnews.com: House May Tighten Rules on Medical Marijuana House May Tighten Rules on Medical Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on April 15, 2004 at 12:40:05 PT By John Zicconi, Vermont Press Bureau Source: Rutland Herald Montpelier -- Key Democrats in the Vermont House are poised to suggest greater restrictions on medical marijuana use than did their Senate counterparts. The House Health and Welfare Committee heard a full day of testimony Wednesday from physicians and law enforcement officials. Two Democrats on the committee said a Senate proposal - which would allow marijuana use by people suffering from severe nausea, seizures and severe pain - might be too broad. They are considering narrowing the proposal to cover only medical conditions that are terminal. They hope the restriction would widen the bill's political appeal to House Republicans and Gov. James Douglas, who oppose the Senate proposal. "I am thinking of bringing this up with other Democrats," said Rep. Val Vincent, D-Waterbury, a member of the Health and Welfare Committee. "As a first step, it might make it a little more palatable." Both Douglas and Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper expressed their disdain Wednesday for establishing a medical marijuana law that they believe could be used by some 6,000 Vermonters and introduce more than $200 million worth of the drug into Vermont communities. Sleeper said such a plan would likely spawn drug-related crimes. Recreational drug users would burglarize the homes of those growing marijuana for medicinal purposes, he said. And organized crime gangs like Hell's Angels might be inspired to set up shop in Vermont to provide marijuana to medical users who do not want to grow it, he said. This fear prompted both Vincent and Rep. William Keogh, D-Burlington, who also sits on the House Health and Welfare Committee, to consider stricter medical marijuana rules. They may seek to limit the drug's legal use to no more than 200 very sick people whom doctors believe may have less than a year to live. Sleeper told the committee such restrictions would make him have "far fewer concerns" regarding public safety. Jason Gibbs, Douglas' chief spokesman, said strict limits on who could use the drug would also make the governor at least willing to revisit the issue. "We are prepared to have that discussion," Gibbs said. "The governor is willing to review and consider anything the committee might develop" that is more restrictive than the Senate's plan. The House committee will continue taking medical marijuana testimony today, but has set no timetable on debating its merits. Medical marijuana is a sticky political issue for Douglas, who faces re-election in November. The first-term Republican opposes creating state laws that conflict with federal laws, even though a recent poll concluded that more than 70 percent of Vermonters support medical marijuana use for severely ill patients. Douglas' chief opponent, Burlington's Democratic mayor, Peter Clavelle, supports medical marijuana use. Nine states, including Maine, have medical marijuana laws. The Senate proposal allows physicians to authorize the use of medical marijuana if a patient suffers a "debilitating medical condition" such as cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and AIDS. The proposal also cites other undefined medical conditions that produce "severe, persistent and intractable symptoms" such as wasting syndrome, severe pain, severe nausea or seizures. With physician assistance, patients would register with the state for marijuana use and the Department of Health would determine eligibility. Qualified patients or their designated caregivers would be allowed to grow up to three mature marijuana plants in a locked, indoor facility and possess up to two ounces of marijuana. Sleeper told the committee these Senate guidelines were too lose and predicted they could lead to widespread abuse as people would feign nausea, pain and other medical conditions to obtain permission to use the drug. He also said few people would grow it themselves, instead buying from the black market. He predicted some 6,000 Vermonters could gain legal standing, which would invite organized crime into the state because it would spawn more than $200 million in annual street sales. "Criminals love to exploit laws, and you are considering a law that would allow significant exploitation and allow more people to come into contact with drug dealers," Sleeper told the committee. A slight majority of the House committee supports the concept of legalizing medical marijuana. Those members appeared to take Sleeper's concerns to heart and quickly began making plans to scale back the Senate proposal. Source: Rutland Herald (VT)Author: John Zicconi, Vermont Press Bureau Published: April 14, 2004Copyright: 2004 Rutland HeraldContact: info rutlandherald.comWebsite: http://www.rutlandherald.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Transcript: Hearing On Medical Marijuanahttp://freedomtoexhale.com/hearing.htmLawmakers Take Testimony on Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18642.shtmlHouse Moves Marijuana Bill a Step Forwardhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18610.shtmlMedical Pot Law Opposed by Douglas http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15583.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by afterburner on April 16, 2004 at 07:42:53 PT No wonder we have a hard time changing things! *Fear of health* by Rep. Val Vincent, D-Waterbury, and Rep. William Keogh, D-Burlington, both members of the House *Health* and Welfare CommitteeNo wonder we have a hard time changing things! Haven't the neo-cons been attacking health, education, and welfare for over a decade; prohibiting access has become the modus operandi of developed democracies.*Fear of Health* by the members of the House *Health* and Welfare Committee, just as we have in Canada, Prohibitionists, like Randy White and Dan McTeague on drug policy reform committees. [Langley-Abbotsford MP Randy White, a Canadian Alliance member and the vice-chair of the parliamentary committee on the non-medical use of drugs. Ontario Liberal MP Dan McTeague, who has vocally opposed his own government's plans.]No wonder we have a hard time changing things! The fox is in the henhouse. Control health becomes deny health. Control education becomes deny education. Control welfare becomes deny welfare. I guess that the prohibitionists, like Hurry, Worry, and Blurry, think they will melt if they "go with the flow." [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by ubas on April 16, 2004 at 06:57:09 PT Sheesh! "This fear prompted both Vincent and Rep. William Keogh, D-Burlington, who also sits on the House Health and Welfare Committee, to consider stricter medical marijuana rules. They may seek to limit the drug's legal use to no more than 200 very sick people whom doctors believe may have less than a year to live."Maybe they need to narrow the scope of the law so that it helps NOBODY! I gaurantee that's a proposal both the House and the Gov. would support. Sheesh! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by goneposthole on April 15, 2004 at 20:35:50 PT bunkum and bosh After a good hundred thousand years of humankind walking on this earth, what is difficult to understand that the cannabis plant grows and actually flourishes?The powers that be spend an inordinate amount of time concentrating on the cannabis plant.Gotta be somethin' better to do.Here's a few suggestions:Find some of those terrorist cells, the real terrorists.Find Osama and capture him. He's done a lot of damage.Find Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. good luck on that one.How come the war in Iraq has cost some 180 billion dollars? Find out why.Launch a government project to find Yeti.Find real criminals, not made-up fake ones that are easy targets. (Not as easy as the American forces that are in Iraq. Talk about a cakewalk, that's what the Freedom Fighters have had for more than a year now.)There must be something else that can be done other than chasing pot smokers all across the land of the free and the home of the brave. Can't be that tough of a job to think of something. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by potpal on April 15, 2004 at 19:07:06 PT Get a clue... Prohibition invites in organized crime. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by afterburner on April 15, 2004 at 18:55:31 PT Time Line of Cannabis Control 0. guide + healer + social director + relaxant + energizer1. illegalize2. legalize -> decriminalize -> medicine -> palliative Do we want our lawmakers to take us down this slippery slope?Medical Freedom Amendment for 2004, but first we have to elect Congress[wo]men and Senators and Presidents who actually understand decentralized decision-making and actually care about the health of their citizens. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by global_warming on April 15, 2004 at 16:30:28 PT In The Mouth Of Madness Hi AllThis person..Kerry (M/F) Sleeper, is sure intoxicated, for with all its bluster and noise, insists, that it is better to continue to ARREST, REMOVE, SHIP OFF TO SIBERIA, INTO GULAGS, that is PRISONS, for his name sake,..With such ignorance, how can such a human, even in todays use of knowledge and with history as an associate, continue this in-human condemnation of human life?Maybe stalinesque mentallities continue to exist, but how can Americans, who have savagely fought off the chains of oppression and tyranny, allow such fools and ignorant beasts to survive?A rose by any other name , will always grace our sense of smell, but this rotten bastard of humanity, still lusts for the blood of the common man.Perhaps it is time to shake off the mist of quiet slumbers, for the song has ended, and the time for work is approaching.-gw [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by mayan on April 15, 2004 at 16:30:10 PT Then Legalize It! "Recreational drug users would burglarize the homes of those growing marijuana for medicinal purposes, he said. And organized crime gangs like Hell's Angels might be inspired to set up shop in Vermont to provide marijuana to medical users who do not want to grow it, he said."Yeah, sure. If that's the case then outright legalization is the only solution.The way out is the way in...FBI Whistle-Blowers Go Unheard - 9/11 Commission disregards survivor families' interests: http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0415/mondo10.phpFear of Flying - Why did Ashcroft stop flying commercial only weeks before 9/11? http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0415/mondo1.phpThe Silver Bullet: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/08/42/200404131554.bc9dfb0c.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by mamawillie on April 15, 2004 at 13:57:04 PT You've GOT to be kidding me... *****Recreational drug users would burglarize the homes of those growing marijuana for medicinal purposes, he said. And organized crime gangs like Hell's Angels might be inspired to set up shop in Vermont to provide marijuana to medical users who do not want to grow it, he said.*******SHEEP.SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP SHEEP [ Post Comment ] Post Comment