cannabisnews.com: Panel OKs Medical Marijuana 










  Panel OKs Medical Marijuana 

Posted by CN Staff on June 16, 2005 at 09:47:15 PT
By Joe Baker, Daily News Staff  
Source: Newport Daily News 

Providence, R.I. --  The House Health, Education and Welfare Committee gave a ringing endorsement to medical marijuana legislation Wednesday, providing hope that the General Assembly has enough votes to override an expected gubernatorial veto.Buoyed by the 10-2 committee vote, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Thomas C. Slater, D-Providence, predicted he would get more than 60 votes on the House floor, or about 80 percent of the chamber. Last week, the Senate passed a nearly identical bill 34-2.
Both chambers need 60 percent approval to override a veto. But Slater said he hoped the override vote wouldn't be necessary."This is big out there in the public," Slater said. "The governor usually listens to the public. I hope he listens to them this time."The legislation would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana for patients with debilitating or chronic diseases, such as cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis or Crohn's disease. Patients would receive a registration card from the Department of Health that would allow them to grow up to 12 marijuana plants or to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana without fear of state prosecution.Patients also could enlist a primary caregiver, who also would be registered with the state and be exempt from prosecution.The committee made four changes to the bill Wednesday, but Senate sponsor Rhoda E. Perry D-Providence, approved them all, Slater said. The changes would:* Require that a primary caregiver be a Rhode Island resident.* Prohibit anyone with a felony drug conviction from being a primary caregiver.* Require the Department of Health to provide local law enforcement officials with the number but not the names of qualified medical marijuana patients in their communities.* Have the law expire on June 30, 2007. After receiving a progress report from the Department of Health, due by Jan. 1, 2007, the legislature would reconsider whether to extend the law.Slater said he was proud of the bipartisan support he received in committee. Three Republicans, including Minority Leader Robert A. Watson, R-East Greenwich - an ex-officio member of all House committees - voted for the bill.The two lawmakers opposing the bill were Rep. John J. Loughlin II, R-Tiverton, and Rep. Rene Menard, D-Lincoln.Although there was no debate on the bill, Loughlin said during a previous hearing that because marijuana is not classified as a medicine "it is impossible to determine what is an effective dosage." Source: Newport Daily News, The (RI)Author: Joe Baker, Daily News Staff Published: Thursday, June 16, 2005Copyright: 2005 Newport Daily NewsContact: Editor NewportRI.comWebsite: http://www.newportdailynews.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htm Marijuana Legislation May Be 'Veto Proof'http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20869.shtmlR.I. Senate Approves Proposal To Legalize MMJhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20814.shtmlSenate Approves Medical Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20806.shtml

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Comment #13 posted by FoM on June 18, 2005 at 09:34:35 PT
John Tyler 
I know what you mean. I buy and use different weeds as medicine. Actually I mean herbs but my point is a weed is a weed is a weed and weeds are legal. 
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Comment #12 posted by John Tyler on June 18, 2005 at 09:22:15 PT
re #4
Psilocybin is great. Also if growing is not manufacturing with regard to mushrooms, then how can this same legal logic not be applied to the growing of cannabis.
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Comment #11 posted by ekim on June 16, 2005 at 19:07:47 PT
WJAR TV Chnl 10 Debate on Legalizing Drugs 
Jun 19 05 WJAR TV Chnl 10 Debate on Legalizing Drugs 06:30 AM Jack Cole Cranston RI USA 
 Executive Director Jack Cole will be debating drug legalization with Bristol County Sheriff, Tom Hodgson at 6:30 a.m. Sunday Morning, June 19, 2005 on "10 News Conference" hosted by Bill Rappleye, from WJAR TV Channel 10, Cranston, Rhode Island. 
http://www.leap.cc/events
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Comment #10 posted by Sukoi on June 16, 2005 at 15:37:30 PT
War on Crime, Not on Drugs
Former police chief gives reasons for decriminalization:War on Crime, Not on Drugshttp://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/22227/ 
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Comment #9 posted by cloud7 on June 16, 2005 at 14:44:46 PT
Roseville stubs out its medical pot law
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/13073694p-13918952c.htmlUse www.bugmenot.com if you need to register to view the article
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 16, 2005 at 14:05:22 PT
Off Topic
I hope that this new earthquake that just happened in LA is all that they will have. Stay safe!
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Comment #7 posted by Shishaldin on June 16, 2005 at 12:35:24 PT
!= equals NOT equal
JR Bob Dobbs was using Computer-eze. In most programming languages != means "not equal"
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Comment #6 posted by runderwo on June 16, 2005 at 11:22:32 PT
impossible?
"it is impossible to determine what is an effective dosage."I think the people using it have a good idea what is effective and what isn't. Maybe you are afraid they will "overdose" or succumb to side effects? Oh wait, that's not possible with cannabis. Or maybe you are afraid they will "abuse" it, i.e. use it for purposes beyond symptomatic relief. Oh wait, kinda like popping 2 Vicodins instead of one. Blah, blah, blah.
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Comment #5 posted by Max Flowers on June 16, 2005 at 10:29:42 PT
JR Bob Dobbs
I think you meant: Growing does NOT = "Manufacture" in New MexicoThat's what yesterday's stunning NM Appeals Court ruling says. I'm still stunned by the news of that unexpected spasm of sanity.Congrats to NM and to the forces for anti-drugwar common sense.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 16, 2005 at 10:26:08 PT

Thanks JR
I only had the pleasure of Psilocybin Mushrooms one time in my life back in the 70s and it's one of those days I will never forget. So it seems you can grow them but can't take them. It doesn't surprise me because our drug laws are really out of wack.***Court: Growing Hallucinogenic Mushrooms Not Illegal Under N.M. Manufacturing Law 
 
 
 
 June 16, 2005SANTA FE (AP) - The state Court of Appeals says growing hallucinogenic mushrooms is not banned under New Mexico’s law against manufacturing an illegal drug.The appellate judges overturned the felony drug trafficking conviction of an Alamogordo man for growing psilocybin mushrooms in his home.Under state law, drug trafficking includes the manufacturing of illegal drugs.But the court says growing mushrooms was not covered by the drug trafficking law’s definition of “manufacture.”The hallucinogenic substance in the mushrooms, psilocybin, is an illegal controlled substance under state and federal law. Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press
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Comment #3 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 16, 2005 at 10:15:12 PT

And in Wales...
A Welsh assembly member who called for his colleagues to volunteer to try out a new drug detection machine has tested "positive" for cannabis himself.
BBC: Cannabis test 'positive' for Assembly Members
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Comment #2 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 16, 2005 at 10:09:50 PT

Growing != Manufacture in New Mexico
At least when it comes to fungi...
http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=19847&cat=HOME
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Comment #1 posted by PainWithNoInsurance on June 16, 2005 at 10:02:57 PT

Congratulations to RI !!!!
RI finally has an alternative to pharmaceutical expensive poisons.Souder's man made chemical world is losing because it needs more study. Experimenting chemical snake oil on humans will lose in the end. 
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