cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana in R.I. Medical Marijuana in R.I. Posted by CN Staff on May 18, 2004 at 22:49:51 PT Editorial Source: Providence Journal Rhode Island may soon become the 10th state to let doctors recommend marijuana to their patients. The drug is known to ease pain and the discomforts of treatments for cancer, AIDS and other ailments. Legalizing marijuana for medical use would seem a humane and rational policy.So far, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have passed laws permitting the use of marijuana with a doctor's approval. The bill before the Rhode Island legislature would not permit the commercial cultivation of pot. If it passes, a patient with a qualifying illness could have a doctor write a recommendation for marijuana. The state Department of Health would then issue an ID, allowing the patient to possess up to one ounce of pot or to grow six plants.Under current Rhode Island law, possession of less than one kilogram (about 35 ounces) of pot is a misdemeanor, which can bring up to one year in jail and a $500 fine.The Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Act has 20 co-sponsors in the House and no declared opponents. It also has the backing of the Rhode Island Medical Society -- the first state medical society to endorse medical marijuana -- and the Rhode Island Nurses Association. Moreover, a Zogby poll commissioned by the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition found 69 percent of the state's registered voters to favor it. Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/rimed.htmSource: Providence Journal, The (RI)Published: Wednesday, May 19, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Providence Journal CompanyContact: letters projo.comWebsite: http://www.projo.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmBipartisan Coalition Introduces Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18338.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by observer on May 19, 2004 at 09:25:48 PT ripatients.org The Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (RIPAC) is a statewide coalition of organizations and individuals that support safe and legal access to medical marijuana for seriously disabled and terminally ill Rhode Islanders. RIPAC serves as a grassroots base of support for the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Act in the General Assembly. By supporting the bill, RIPAC seeks to gain legal protection for patients who use medical marijuana on a doctor's recommendation. RIPAC is comprised of doctors, patients, family members, nurses, advocacy organizations, and public officials. Join/Help RIPAC http://ripatients.org/ http://ripatients.org/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by potpal on May 19, 2004 at 08:42:56 PT Maryland Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Maryland come on board for medpot recently? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 19, 2004 at 08:32:30 PT Dan It's good to see you. I hope all is well! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Jose Melendez on May 19, 2004 at 08:08:58 PT MEAN while in CA " . . . Deputies were informed at the time of Canada's arrest on Nov. 25 that he had a doctor's prescription for the 20 marijuana plants found inside his Hess Boulevard apartment. "Even though the sheriff's deputies knew at the time of the seizure that this property was medicinal marijuana and the rights to use it are protected ... the sheriff's officers made no attempt to verify whether ( Canada ) was a bona fide medical marijuana patient,' the claim states. After having adverse reactions to Prozac and other anti-depressants, Canada found a doctor in El Cajon with a reputation for prescribing marijuana to patients, and visited an array of cannabis clubs in San Francisco to find the kind of pot that suited him. "It took me years to go to clubs, selecting seeds from strains ( of marijuana ) that give me a clear head and enabled me to function,' Canada said. "These people complain about disabled people costing them money, and here I am growing my own medicine, and here they are stealing it on Thanksgiving.' from Medical Pot User Files ($25 Million) Claim:http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n743/a04.html?397 [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dan B on May 19, 2004 at 02:47:54 PT It's a Start Obviously, there are several flaws with this bill, beginning with the low possession amount allowed for patients who require a steady supply (one ounce and six plants? Get real!). Still, if it passes we can add another state to our growing list of supporters for medical access, and the success of the program's early stages can be a catalyst for more appropriate changes in the future.We can at least celebrate a good start.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Post Comment