cannabisnews.com: Legislators Override Carcieri’s Marijuana Veto





Legislators Override Carcieri’s Marijuana Veto
Posted by CN Staff on January 03, 2006 at 17:06:45 PT
Editorial
Source: Providence Business News 
Providence, R.I. -- The state House of Representatives on Tuesday voted 59 to 13 to override a veto by Gov. Donald L. Carcieri of legislation passed last year to legalize medical marijuana, making Rhode Island the 11th state to allow people with certain illnesses to use the substance. Federal law forbids marijuana use, but Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington allow it to be grown and used for medicinal purposes. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that patients who used the drug in those states could still be prosecuted under federal law.
The new Rhode Island law allows people with severe illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis C, on a doctor’s recommendation, to get registered with the state and get permission to grow up to 12 marijuana plants or buy up to 2.5 ounces of the drug. The law is effective immediately, but the state Department of Health, which will register users and give them identification cards, still has 90 days to develop procedures to do so. The medical marijuana bill was one of the highest-profile measures in last year’s legislative session, but Carcieri vetoed the measure. The state Senate voted the override his veto the following day, but the House recessed without taking action, leaving the bill’s fate up in the air. Legislators voted on Tuesday before convening the 2006 House session – the last possible time they could do it. After the vote, Carcieri issued a statement saying the law “will encourage criminal activity,” because it does not provide any means for the legal purchase of medical marijuana, forcing them to buy the drug in the illegal street market. The governor also objected to the lack of “safeguards to protect the community,” such as restrictions on where marijuana can be cultivated and stored, and he called the definition of eligible medical conditions as “so broad that it would allow nearly any Rhode Islander to be a user.” Finally, Carcieri noted, “this bill appears to violate federal law.” The governor noted that along with himself, the state police, the state Department of Health, and the chief judge of the Rhode Island Family Court had opposed the law. Complete Title: Legislators Override Carcieri’s Medical Marijuana VetoThe full text of the law is posted here: http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText05/SenateText05/S0710B.htmSource: Providence Business News (RI)Published: January 03, 2006 - Issue 20-38Copyright: 2006 Providence Business News, Inc.Contact: editor pbn.comWebsite: http://www.pbn.com/Related Articles: House Overrides Carcieri's Marijuana Vetohttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21434.shtmlHere's Hoping Compassion Wins The Votehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21433.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by The GCW on January 03, 2006 at 20:19:09 PT
John P Walters,
The Bible indicates, God created all the seed bearing plants and said they are all good, on the very 1st page;?Do You have a problem with that?
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Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on January 03, 2006 at 19:06:48 PT:
Update: the time will be 0915 hours, EST
That is the scheduled time Johnny Pee will be on C-SPAN. Oh, this is gonna be FUN! (Wicked grin while sharpening rhetorical turkey carver blades.)
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Comment #6 posted by mayan on January 03, 2006 at 18:31:49 PT
YIPPEE!!!
Perhaps a caller could ask Johnny Pee if he still thinks that medical cannabis is no longer a political issue! Way to go, Rhode Island!!!
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Comment #5 posted by ekim on January 03, 2006 at 18:28:23 PT
c-span 
dem call in 1-202-737-0002gop call in 1-202-737-0001www.cspan.org
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on January 03, 2006 at 18:20:39 PT:
"Ammo! Ammo!"
Get yours ready for tomorrow, for if activists get on, you'll have only seconds to make your point. Here's some suggestions: Ask him WHY, if the Bush Administration favors federalism so much, WHY does it p***-and-moan when a State passes MMJ legislation or referenda?Ask him: Whys does he support a failed policy of drug prohibition that was racially bigoted in origin? (You remember alcohol Prohibition, and how that was such a great idea it died after 13 years, dontcha, Johnny?) I'd then mention the Website http://www.drugwar.com/blackfiends.shtm Point out that African-Americans wonder why so many Black men are in prison; tell them the answer is there in that link.I would also be bombarding the C-SPAN email with that same URL so that the public might see it flashed on the screen. It won't hurt to mention CNEWS as well, and other worthies like DrugWarRant and LastOneSpeaks, DARE Generation Diary, Loretta Nall, etc. Mention your fave site, but DO it! Get word out! Let people know there are other sides to this story, sides ol' Johnny Pee and his minions don't want the public to know about. The iron is white hot right now. Time to bring the hammer down...
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on January 03, 2006 at 18:05:54 PT
Kapt from Petes site
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
June 6, 2005 
 Contact: ONDCP Public Affairs
      202–395–6618 STATEMENT BY THE WHITE HOUSE DRUG CZAR ABOUT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT’S DECISION REGARDING SO-CALLED MEDICAL MARIJUANA   (Washington, D.C.)—John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and President Bush’s “Drug Czar,” today issued the following statement regarding the United States Supreme Court’s decision regarding so-called medical marijuana.   Director Walters said, “Today’s decision marks the end of medical marijuana as a political issue. Our Nation has the highest standards and most sophisticated institutions in the world for determining the safety and effectiveness of medication. Our national medical system relies on proven scientific research, not popular opinion. To date, science and research have not determined that smoking a crude plant is safe or effective. We have a responsibility as a civilized society to ensure that the medicine Americans receive from their doctors is effective, safe, and free from the pro-drug politics that are being promoted in America under the guise of medicine.   Too many of our citizens suffer from pain and chronic illnesses. Smoking illegal drugs may make some people “feel better.” However, civilized societies and modern day medical practices differentiate between inebriation and the safe, supervised delivery of proven medicine by legitimate doctors. In 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a review of the available scientific evidence in an effort to assess the potential health benefits of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids. The review concluded that smoking marijuana is not recommended for any long-term medical use, and a subsequent IOM report declared, “marijuana is not a modern medicine.”   For years, pro-drug groups seeking the legalization of marijuana and other drugs have preyed on the compassion of Americans to promote their political agenda and bypass F.D.A.’s rigorous standards which have safeguarded our medical supply for over 100 years. Marinol – the synthetic form of THC and the psychoactive ingredient contained in marijuana – is already legally available for prescription by physicians whose patients suffer from pain and chronic illness.”
http://www.drugwarrant.com
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Comment #2 posted by OverwhelmSam on January 03, 2006 at 17:36:11 PT
J P on C-Span
Good. I imagine he'll be peddling his same boring fradulent fantacy about the "harms" of marijuana. Can we call in and ask him why he refuses to comply with the people's will? 
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on January 03, 2006 at 17:15:56 PT:
For the benefit of those who read the latest first
Unless he suddenly backs out of the scheduled interview (said with a New Englander's accent: "I wonder why he might do that?") Johnny "Pee" Walters will be on C-SPAN's Washington Journal program tomorrow morning. The program begins at 0700 hours EST and is rebroadcast usually at 1000 hrs EST. I don't know exactly when he'll be on but they always allow phone commentaries. Here's your chance, people. Good time to bring up the fact that Rhode Island more or less told the Supreme Court and the DrugWarriors to do something anatomically impossible.
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