cannabisnews.com: Rx Pot Sought 





Rx Pot Sought 
Posted by CN Staff on April 06, 2006 at 07:27:03 PT
By Jim Baron, Times Staff Reporter
Source: Pawtucket Times
Providence, RI -- A 43-year-old registered nurse with multiple sclerosis is the first Rhode Islander to apply for the card that will allow her to use marijuana medically without fear of arrest or prosecution. Rhonda O’Donnell of Warwick, who appeared at rallies and press conferences as well as testifying before legislative committees as part of a two-year lobbying effort to get the medical marijuana bill passed, used a walker to enter the Department of Health office to submit her application and doctor’s statement to get a card that will allow her and two adult caregivers to possess up to 2.5 ounces of useable marijuana without being subject to arrest, prosecution or forfeiture.
Maria Wah-Fitta, health department spokeswoman, said O’Donnell is the first to return her application, but between 50 and 50 forms have been sent out to people requesting them. That doesn’t count those who accessed the applications online (www.health.ri.gov) and printed them out. Once the application is submitted, the DOH checks the physician statement, then calls the applicant back to take a photo id and receive their card. "I’m just thankful our legislature has been compassionate enough to care about the disabled," O’Donnell told reporters before handing in her papers. She said as a nurse on a surgical floor she has seen patients receive an injection of morphine to relieve pain, "and they didn’t get loopy high like someone on the street would have if they just got the same injection." She hopes the marijuana will do the same - alleviate the pain without psychoactive side effects. O’Donnell said she does not support the outright legalization of marijuana, "just for medical purposes." She addressed one of the criticisms that opponents - including Gov. Donald Carcieri, who vetoed the bill only to see the Senate and House override that action - have voiced about the plan - that it is still against the law to buy, sell or grow marijuana so any supply would have to be obtained illegally. "People say, ‘Where will you get it?’ It’s just a farce because everybody knows somebody who knows somebody. It’s just one of those societies," she said. "It doesn’t make you a bad person if you know somebody who smokes marijuana or if you do use it. There are plenty of people with disabilities who use it today. I personally had chosen not to do it until I got the card. I have no detrimental things to say about people who have used it. My own dad did and it was 25 years ago he died from cancer. So you think how many people used it and had access to it all these years. It’s just now they’re protected and they don’t have to worry about a policeman coming around the corner and arresting them." Although the state law does not protect anyone from federal arrest, O’Donnell said she doesn’t worry about that because federal law enforcement "has better things to worry about" than a sick person with small amounts of marijuana. In a written statement, Karen O’Keefe, legislative analyst for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, which participated in the lobbying effort for the law, said,"Thanks to the Department of Health's prompt implementation of the medical marijuana act and its decision to set the application fee at $10 for people on disability, relief is imminent for Rhode Island's medical marijuana patients. As more and more states show how easily that humane, responsible medical marijuana programs can be put into place, the day moves closer when no patient anywhere in the country will have to live in fear." Warren Dolbashian of Cranston, says he has been using marijuana to treat symptoms of his Tourette’s Syndrome since he was 17 years-old. He said he made a conscious decision not to use prescription opiates because "all it leads to is a trip to the methadone clinic. "After years of living in fear that I would be arrested for treating my spasms and pain, I am thrilled that treating my pain finally won’t be a crime in Rhode Island," Dolbashian said. "Thanks to the Department of Health's prompt implementation of the medical marijuana act and its decision to set the application fee at $10 for people on disability, relief is imminent for Rhode Island's medical marijuana patients," said Karen O'Keefe, legislative analyst for the Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project, which led the lobbying effort for the law. "As more and more states show how easily that humane, responsible medical marijuana programs can be put into place, the day moves closer when no patient anywhere in the country will have to live in fear." On the Web:Rhode Island's Medical Marijuana Program: http://www.health.ri.gov/hsr/mmp/index.phpSource: Pawtucket Times (RI)Author: Jim Baron, Times Staff ReporterPublished: April 6, 2006Copyright: 2006 The Pawtucket TimesContact: editor pawtuckettimes.comWebsite: http://www.pawtuckettimes.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/ R.I. Gets First Marijuana Applicationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21711.shtmlRhode Island Launches Medical Marijuana Programhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21701.shtmlRegistration Date in April for Marijuana Usehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21634.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on April 06, 2006 at 19:59:01 PT
National Geographic Special April 9th at 8 PM ET
whig I'm looking forward to seeing this on Sunday.The Gospel of Judas: http://www.nationalgeographic.co.in/explore/judas/home.asp
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Comment #8 posted by whig on April 06, 2006 at 19:52:44 PT
Gospel of Judas
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/judastxt.pdf
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Comment #7 posted by whig on April 06, 2006 at 15:27:01 PT
Bhagavad Gita, 16:7-22
BG 16:7 The disorderly ones do not know how to begin or where to stop, they are unclean, do not know to behave and have no truth in them.BG 16:8 They say that the universe does not really have a purpose, that it has no ruler, that it did not come into existence from a certain cause and that there is no other cause than that of lust.BG 16:9 Less intelligent, having lost themselves being complacent with this outlook, do the less favorable activities flourish and does their work lead to the unfortunate of destroying the planetBG 16:10 Confiding in lusts that are insatiable, in hypocrisy, arrogance and driven by false pride, one, led by illusion, takes to the non-permanent of material things and thrives in dedication to the impure.BG 16:11-12 Their fears and anxieties are endless and to the point of death they trust in sense-gratification as the supreme goal of life. Thus in this way they ascertain themselves of being bound to the lust and anger, entangled in a network of expectations and of that mentality they, for the enjoyment of their senses, desire to accumulate wealth by unfair means.BG 16:13-15 'Today I have won this and that I shall get; this is what Ì want, that is mine and tomorrow I will even have more of it. That enemy I beated today and those I shall destroy too. For sure I am the Lord. I am the enjoyer, the perfection and I am the happy one to be in power. I am the wealthy one of noble company, I am the one and only, who would there be else but me; I shall sacrifice and give in charity, I am the one to be happy'; this is how they are deluded by their ignorance.BG 16:16 Thus perplexed by countless worries they are caught in a pool of illusions and addicted to sensual pleasure they slide down into a hell of disarray.BG 16:17 Blasé, shameless of their wealth and imagined they in the full of their delusion engage in so-called sacrifices which they perform out of pride with no regard for rules and regulations.BG 16:18 Materially identified in their pride, strength, lust and anger they enviously fell into mocking Me being situated in themselves and in others.BG 16:19 Those who are envious and mischievous with Me I always cast into the ocean of matter as the lowest of mankind who for sure inauspiciously are born from the wombs of the degenerates.BG 16:20 Life after life the foolish, thus attaining to births from the godless, for sure will have to do without Me, o son of Kuntî, as they head for the worst destinations.BG 16:21 In this self-destruction there are three gates of hell: lust, anger and greed. Therefore one must give up these three.BG 16:22 Liberated from these three gates of ignorance, o son of Kuntî, is a person in respect with the soul and blessed with that does he go for the supreme destination.
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Comment #6 posted by dongenero on April 06, 2006 at 12:22:57 PT
RE: rude pundit link
I love how he wrapped it all up in an Ann Coulter bow at the end. Very funny despite the seriousness of the issue.
Way to rip 'em. What I find so funny about it is that, it is satire of how the repub. pundits like Coulter speak about the "libruls".Coulter is bat**** nuts.
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Comment #5 posted by whig on April 06, 2006 at 10:33:29 PT
Max
When we're talking about child molesters running the Department of Homeland Security, a few F-words seem appropriate.
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Comment #4 posted by Max Flowers on April 06, 2006 at 10:14:12 PT
whig
Wow, the comments at that link were... impressive! Parental discretion advised! I like it when they don't hold back though. Call it like it is, even if it involves a lot of f-words and other nasty words. Personally, I think that may be what it is going to take to defeat these pieces of work... getting down and dirty and nasty. Meet their tactics with the same tactics.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 06, 2006 at 09:35:48 PT
Off Topic: Will He Be Impeached Now?
Bush: Hands Possibly as Dirty as Scooter Libby'sApril 6th, 2006  
 
In shocking news today, the New York Sun reports that Scooter Libby was authorized by none other than President Bush to leak critical Iraq intelligence to The New York Times. The dope, according to Libby's grand jury testimony, was from a highly classified " National Intelligence Estimate" and was given to a Times reporter in 2003. Complete Article: http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0615,news,72774,2.html
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Comment #2 posted by whig on April 06, 2006 at 09:15:24 PT
OT and NSFW
http://tinyurl.com/h8v2z
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 06, 2006 at 08:26:57 PT
SAMHSA Press Release
Press Release Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA Unveils State Substance Abuse Data from 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health; Kentucky Among Leader in Non-Medical Use of Prescription Pain RelieversWASHINGTON, April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- California and Wisconsin had increases in underage alcohol use in the past month between 2002 - 2003 and 2003 - 2004, while Michigan and South Carolina showed decreases, according to a new state-by-state report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 
 
The report State Estimates of Substance Use from the 2003-2004 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, issued today, estimates state rates of use of illegal drugs, binge and underage drinking, serious mental illness and tobacco use. SAMHSA combined two years of data from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health to enhance the precision of estimates for the less populous states.The report shows that California increased from 24.7 percent of 12 to 20 year olds using alcohol in the past month to 26.3 percent, while Wisconsin increased from 34.7 percent to 38.3 percent. Michigan and South Carolina, however, showed decreases in underage drinking from 31.8 percent to 30.2 percent for Michigan and from 27.3 percent to 24.1 percent for South Carolina.For illegal drug use, six states registered decreases in current use among youth ages 12-17, Illinois, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont and Virginia. There were no statistically significant increases in current drug use among youth in any state, and there were no increases in either the 18-to-25 year old age group or the 26-and-older age group."While we are making progress on drug and tobacco use among youth, underage drinking continues as a stubbornly persistent problem," SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie said. "It's time to change attitudes toward teen drinking from acceptance to abstinence. It begins by recognizing the importance of parents talking to their children early and often about alcohol, especially before they've started drinking."The estimates show that past month use of any illicit drug in 2003-2004 ranged from a low of 5.8 percent in Mississippi to a high of 11.8 percent in Alaska for all persons ages 12 and older. Four jurisdictions showed decreases from 2002-2003 in current use of any illicit drug: the District of Columbia, Florida, Nevada and Washington."State-by-state data is a powerful tool for policymakers at the federal, state and local levels to identify needs and target prevention and treatment resources. It is clear from the findings that illicit drug, alcohol and tobacco use vary substantially among states and regions. That is why we continue to work though innovative programs like Access to Recovery to increase the flexibility of federal funding available to states and communities," Curie said.Mississippi and Utah had the lowest rate of past month marijuana use (4.2 percent) in 2003-2004 for population ages 12 and older, while Alaska had the highest rate (9.9 percent). Eight states were ranked in the top fifth nationally for past month marijuana use in all three age groups, 12 to 17, 18 to 25 and 26 and older. These states are Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.Seven jurisdictions had decreases in past month use of marijuana between 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 for those ages 12 and older: Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Washington.Rhode Island had the highest percentage of persons ages 12 or older using cocaine in the past year, 3.5 percent. Ohio was the only state to show a decline in the use of cocaine in the past year, from 2.5 percent to 2.1 percent of persons ages 12 and older.In the District of Columbia and Hawaii, approximately 3.1 percent of those 12 or older used narcotic pain relievers nonmedically, while 6.3 percent of those in Kentucky did. Washington and Kentucky were in the highest fifth for use of prescription pain relievers nonmedically in all three age groups. Arkansas and Maine had increases in the 12-17 age group, while California, Montana and New York had increases in nonmedical use of prescription pain medications among those ages 18 to 25. A decrease in nonmedical use of pain relievers was seen among those ages 12 and older in Hawaii (from 3.9 to 3.1 percent).Eight states were in the top fifth for both underage use of alcohol and underage binge use of alcohol: Iowa, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Wisconsin.Tobacco use in the past month by youth increased in California from 9.2 to 10.9 percent, but overall in California, tobacco use by those 12 and older fell from 22.5 percent to 20.7 percent due to a decrease among persons ages 26 and older. In Kansas, the percentage of persons ages 18-25 using tobacco in the past month increased from 45.7 percent to 49.9 percent.The data show that West Virginia had the highest rate of serious psychological distress among persons ages 18 and older in the past year (12.7 percent) while Hawaii had the lowest rate (7.1 percent). Increases in serious psychological distress appeared in 10 states, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming, generally the result of increases among persons ages 26 and older.The report is available on the web at: http://www.oas.samhsa.govSAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions, treatment and mental health service delivery system.Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrationhttp://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060406/dcth006.html?.v=50
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