cannabisnews.com: MMJ Advocates Turn Eyes Toward Distribution System





MMJ Advocates Turn Eyes Toward Distribution System
Posted by FoM on November 04, 1999 at 07:15:35 PT
By Francis X. Quinn, Associated Press
Source: Boston Globe
Now that Maine voters have approved a proposal to legalize marijuana for certain medicinal uses, the referendum drive's chief organizer says advocates will seek governmental cooperation to make a new law work. 
''We are hoping to work with law enforcement, the Legislature and the governor,'' said Craig Brown of Mainers for Medical Rights. Brown said the goal is to develop a distribution system that will allow patients to avoid going to ''the black market.'' With 640 of 664 precincts reporting, unofficial returns produced a majority favoring passage of 61 percent to 39 percent. The unofficial raw vote from 96 percent of precincts was 249,647 in favor of the measure and 157,099 against. Incomplete returns showed Cumberland County favoring enactment by nearly 2-1. Tight splits were seen in Aroostook and Washington counties. Elections officials have up to 20 days to tabulate the results and pass them on to Gov. Angus King, who would have up to 10 days to proclaim the results. The legislation would take effect 30 days thereafter. The citizen initiative asked voters: ''Do you want to allow patients with specific illnesses to grow and use small amounts of marijuana for treatment, as long as such use is approved by a doctor?'' Question 2 was designed to authorize possession of marijuana for specific medical conditions when patients are advised by a doctor they might benefit from the drug. The list of qualifying ailments includes persistent nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite from AIDS or cancer treatments, glaucoma, and seizures or muscle spasms from chronic diseases, such as epilepsy or multiple sclerosis. The pending law defines a usable amount as up to 1.25 ounces of harvested marijuana and up to six marijuana plants, no more than three of which may be mature, flowering plants. Since 1996, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Arizona have enacted similar measures; the Justice Department is challenging them in federal court. In San Francisco, Justice officials have asked a federal appeals court to reconsider a ruling that could allow sick people to defend their use of pot on the basis of medical necessity. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals told a federal judge in September to rethink his order of last year that closed down some Northern California medical marijuana clubs, and consider an exemption for patients who face imminent harm without the drug and have no effective legal alternative. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who has vowed to uphold a successful state initiative allowing patients to use pot, had asked the federal Justice Department not to appeal the ruling. Federal prosecutors have repeatedly argued that Congress has declared pot to be among the most dangerous controlled substances and has no medical purpose, thus invalidating the medical necessity argument. Associated Press, 11/04/99 08:55 Related Articles & Web Site:Maine Follows Connecticuts Lead On Med. Marijuana - 11/04/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3552.shtmlKetterer Says Impact of Marijuana Vote 'Overrated'- 11/04/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3551.shtmlMainers Strongly Support Allowing Marijuana - 11/03/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3542.shtml 
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