cannabisnews.com: House Overrides Carcieri's Medical Marijuana Veto










  House Overrides Carcieri's Medical Marijuana Veto

Posted by CN Staff on January 03, 2006 at 12:45:31 PT
By M.L. Johnson, Associated Press Writer 
Source: Associated Press 

Providence, R.I. -- Rhode Island on Tuesday became the 11th state to legalize medical marijuana and the first since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that patients who use the drug can still be prosecuted under federal law. House lawmakers voted 59-13, with one abstention, to override a veto by Gov. Don Carcieri, allowing people with illnesses such as cancer and AIDS to grow up to 12 marijuana plants or buy 2.5 ounces of marijuana to relieve their symptoms. The law requires them to register with the state and get a photo identification card.
Federal law prohibits any use of marijuana, but Maine, Vermont, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington allow it to be grown and used for medicinal purposes.The U.S. high court ruled on June 6 that people who smoke marijuana because their doctors recommend it can still be prosecuted under federal drug laws.Federal authorities conceded they were unlikely to prosecute many medicinal users, and Rhode Island lawmakers pressed on, passing their medical marijuana bill on June 7.Carcieri vetoed it, and the state Senate voted the next day to override his veto, but the House recessed before following suit. Tuesday's House vote came just before the start of the 2006 session, allowing the law to take effect immediately.Rep. Thomas Slater, D-Providence, and Sen. Rhoda E. Perry, D-Providence, introduced the legislation last year after watching family members suffer from terminal illnesses.Perry's nephew died last January of AIDS. Although marijuana may have relieved his suffering, he never used it because it was illegal, she said.Slater has cancer and several of his family members died from it. He said he doesn't need marijuana now, but it could be part of his treatment in the future."I'm sure everybody in this room knows at least one person who would have benefited from medical marijuana," he said before the vote. Source: Associated Press (Wire)Author: M.L. Johnson, Associated Press Writer Published: January 3, 2006Copyright: 2006 The Associated Press Related Articles: Here's Hoping Compassion Wins The Votehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21433.shtmlReps Face ‘Pot’ Veto http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21426.shtmlR.I. House To Vote on Marijuana Veto http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21425.shtml

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Comment #42 posted by FoM on January 04, 2006 at 07:48:56 PT
Hope 
Thanks Hope. You can tell I don't know much about history. I do know about the history of the 60s though.
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Comment #41 posted by Hope on January 04, 2006 at 04:46:53 PT
Kaptinemo
At my post! Washington Journal coming up.
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Comment #40 posted by Hope on January 04, 2006 at 04:45:41 PT
comment 24
Yanks! As in Yankee Doodle Dandy! The original American Patriots. I'm a descendant. I'm very honored to say that I have two grandfathers who were officers, Colonel, and Captain, in our rag tag bunch of revolutionaries that were able to defeat the greatest military on earth at the time with little money, but lots of courage and cunning. Yankee spirit. (Not talking about the North and South Yankees and Rebels...but the original Yankees that were the rebels against Great Britain, themselves.)
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Comment #39 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 19:23:00 PT
CNN Reported The New Law in R.I.
That is the first I've seen any reporting. It's because of the terrible mining accident but maybe tomorrow. 
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Comment #38 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 19:10:13 PT
kaptinemo 
Please post the info on the top article too. Thanks.
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Comment #37 posted by kaptinemo on January 03, 2006 at 19:08:41 PT:
Update: The time will be 0915 hours, EST
That's when Johnny Pee will be on.
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Comment #36 posted by whig on January 03, 2006 at 18:14:57 PT
Had Enough
Good song and well done.A little enlightenment goes a long way, dunnit? :)
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Comment #35 posted by whig on January 03, 2006 at 18:12:36 PT
kaptinemo #23
No accident, no accident.
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Comment #34 posted by afterburner on January 03, 2006 at 18:06:16 PT
Rhode's Scholars
Rhode Island Becomes 11th Medical Marijuana State 
by MarijuanaPolicy.org (03 Jan, 2006) First Medical Marijuana Bill Since Supreme Court Ruling Passes Via Historic Veto Override
http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4616.html I'm reading it now.
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Comment #33 posted by John Tyler on January 03, 2006 at 17:41:00 PT
fantastic
This is absolutely fantastic news. Way to go Rhode Island. 
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Comment #32 posted by kaptinemo on January 03, 2006 at 17:39:48 PT:
LOL! "Symbolic" , indeed, Mr. Riley
Very 'symbolic'. Absolutely. Just like other symbols; The Flag. Grizzled, battle scarred old vets who salute that flag. The Constitution. People peacably assembling for common cause. Voting. Ultimately, symbols all, and of something broader, deeper and higher than mere words can convey...FREEDOM.Laugh at symbols if you dare, for those for who are willing to risk much to preserve what the symbol represents are unstoppable. Unlike the DrugWar mercenaries - they cash a paycheck, don't they? - volunteer activists are driven by that symbol of freedom to act out of conviction. That conviction has led to another victory, and no amount of pooh-poohing about 'symbols' can take that away. Were I an anti, I'd invest in a honking big tube of antiseptic; they're going to need it now and in the future for treating those wounds they received today and will receive in the very near future. The voice of TRUE 'federalism' was heard today in the legislative halls of Rhode Island, and they will be echoed again and again until this DrugWar is a footnote in a history book...and it's proponents remembered as Tricky Dick's ideological b*****d children, as equally deserving of contempt and derision as he was.
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Comment #31 posted by Dankhank on January 03, 2006 at 17:28:15 PT
prescription
is what killed it ...I knew a guy from AZ at Cannabis Cup 9 who took a prescript from a Dutch doctor to AZ.Never heard if it worked ...
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Comment #30 posted by Dankhank on January 03, 2006 at 17:26:32 PT
WAMM says ...
http://www.wamm.org/faq.htmAz in 1996 ...so why can't we get a good count?RI should be 13?
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Comment #29 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 17:25:44 PT
Dankhank
They voted for it in Arizona but you need a prescription and no one can get a prescription since they won't legalize Cannabis as medicine. It's a catch 22 type thing I believe.
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Comment #28 posted by Dankhank on January 03, 2006 at 17:22:54 PT
Arizona
has had a strange time of it, I think they voted for it twice, but are still stymied for some reason.Must check it out ...
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 17:21:25 PT
Dankhank
So did Arizona I think.
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Comment #26 posted by Dankhank on January 03, 2006 at 17:18:48 PT
Eleven or Twelve?
NORML said last week that eleven states have passed MMJ since 1996alaska, california, colorado, hawaii, maine, maryland, montana, nevada, oregon, vermont and washington.doesn't RI make it twelve?
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Comment #25 posted by afterburner on January 03, 2006 at 17:13:10 PT
RE Comment #12's Link
{"Users will be forced to purchase marijuana in the illegal street market, putting them at risk and complicating the difficult jobs that our law enforcement personnel must do every day," Carcieri said in a statement.}Carcieri, sympathy for the poor overworked police. They'd be far less overworked if the Federal government would just cease and desist this unconstitutional War on Cannabis. {Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, called the vote "largely symbolic" because of the existing federal law. He said he thought the vote showed "misguided and out-of-touch" views on the harms of marijuana.}Way to go, Tom, insult the legislators of the sovereign State of Rhode Island. How arrogant can you get!Thank you, Representatives of the people of Rhode Island and God bless!
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Comment #24 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 16:51:47 PT

Hope
What's an old Yankee Freedom lover?
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Comment #23 posted by kaptinemo on January 03, 2006 at 16:51:07 PT:

And maybe it is the 'hand of Providence' on an 
more earthly level: Providence is the State capitol of RI. How's that for synchronicity? I didn't realize until after I posted that that was the case. Wow, what a day!
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Comment #22 posted by Hope on January 03, 2006 at 16:49:09 PT

Descendants of the old Yankee Freedom lovers
still have some spirit! Yahoo!
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Comment #21 posted by kaptinemo on January 03, 2006 at 16:41:38 PT:

(Klaxons sounding) "Action Stations! 
Actions Stations! Set Condition One throughout the movement! This is no drill, I say again, this is no drill!"Just been over to DEAWAtch; they they say ol' Johnny Pee will be on C-SPAN http://c-span.org/ tomorrow morning at for the Washington Journal program. I don't know what time he'll be on, but the program begins at 0700 hours, EST. This couldn't have come at a better time; were I a religious person, I couldn't be blamed for saying it's the hand of Providence intervening. No doubt ol' Johnny Pee thought when he scheduled this that he'd be able to gloat. Not this time, Johnny-me-lad, not this time. There's lots of people who'd very much like to let you know, in no uncertain terms, exactly what they think of you and your wretched little DrugWar. Here's their chance.
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 16:34:42 PT

Had Enough
I never heard of Government Mule before but I'm listening to the song on NORML now. On this download link they have a lot concerts by Government Mule. http://tela.sugarmegs.org/sugaree/
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Comment #19 posted by Had Enough on January 03, 2006 at 16:22:46 PT

Yesterday
Yesterday it was political suicide to speak out for it. Tomorrow it will be political suicide to speak against it.Today the Angel of Reason came from Heavens of Green, sprinkled Emerald Sparkles of Pixie Dust, waved a Magic Wand and whispered, “Sam, go away” and poof another wrong was done right.Sam, you were told back in 1968:DON'T STEP ON THE GRASS, SAM
 
From the 1968 release "The Second" Words and music by John Kay Starin' at the boob tube, turnin' on the big knob
 Tryin' to find some life in the waste land
 Fin'ly found a program, gonna deal with Mary Jane
 Ready for a trip into hate land
 Obnoxious Joe comes on the screen
 Along with his guest self-righteous Sam
 And one more guy who doesn't count
 His hair and clothes are too far out
 While pushin' back his glasses Sam is sayin' casually
 "I was elected by the masses" And with that in mind he starts to unwind
 A vicious attack on the finest of grasses
 Well it's evil, wicked, mean and nasty
 (Don't step on the grass, Sam)
 And it will ruin our fair country
 (Don't be such an ass, Sam)
 Well, it will hook your Sue and Johnny (You're so full of bull, Sam)
 All will pay that disagree with me
 (Please give up you already lost the fight, alright)
 Misinformation Sam and Joe
 Are feeding to the nation
 But the one who didn't count counted them out
 By exposing all their false quotations
 Faced by a very awkward situation
 This is all he'd say to save the day
 Well it's evil, wicked, mean and nasty
 (Don't step on the grass, Sam)
 And it will ruin our fair country (Don't be such an ass, Sam)
 Well, it will hook your Sue and Johnny
 (You're so full of bull, Sam)
 All will pay that disagree with me
 (Please give up you already lost the fight alright)
 You waste my coin Sam, all you can
 To jail my fellow man
 For smoking all the noble weed
 You need much more than him
 You've been telling lies so long
 Some believe they're true
 So they close their eyes to things 
You have no right to do
 
Just as soon as you are gone
 
Hope will start to climb
 
Please don't stay around too long
 
You're wasting precious time
 Repeat Chorus To the right side of this link is the NORML Music player.http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5481 Select Govt Mule

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Comment #18 posted by OverwhelmSam on January 03, 2006 at 15:30:13 PT

The Next Two States Better Get Busy
It's a race to be the twelveth state to legalize medical marijuana. Nobody wants to be thirteenth! Get going states.
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Comment #17 posted by Max Flowers on January 03, 2006 at 15:29:54 PT

The little state that could
This is great news and I think it will be psychologically important for other east coast states. When they see that li'l ol' Rhode Island did it, they will want to do it too. Pretty soon we'll have 26 states and it will be all over. To the governor: how does that crow taste?
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 15:24:27 PT

Just My Thoughts About States
I think of the east coast as the brains and I think of the west coast as the heart. The south is the religious part of the states and the north east is the live and let live part of the states. All of us in the middle just seem to wait until something happens in one of the important areas of the USA. Maybe we can pull it all together one of these days. 
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Comment #15 posted by The GCW on January 03, 2006 at 14:26:16 PT

Who's next?
Jan. 3rd, 2006.A good way to start the New Year.Perhaps, Gov. Don Carcieri will witness cannabis healing and turn Him around. ...And thank Our Heavenly Father (the Ecologician) for that gift, instead of treating the table of the Lord as though it is defiled.Put it in "override" and keep 'er steady.The Green Collar Worker

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Comment #14 posted by billos on January 03, 2006 at 14:23:31 PT

      This does not help debunk the
MEDICAL CANNABIS MYTH ! ! ! DOH ! ! ! -J.Walters
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Comment #13 posted by MikeC on January 03, 2006 at 14:13:51 PT

Beautiful
Days like today give me hope. I hope my state of Wisconsin can follow suit. Nearly 25% of the country now allows Medical Marijuana. It's a great day.Congratulations everyone!
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Comment #12 posted by Sam Adams on January 03, 2006 at 14:07:28 PT

Yes!
Here's another AP version, with some nice sore-loser bleatings from ONDCP:http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2006/01/03/house_overrides_carcieris_medical_marijuana_veto/
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 13:55:00 PT

Taylor121 
Here drink a cup of my virtual chicken soup and you'll feel better. Seriously get well soon.
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Comment #10 posted by Taylor121 on January 03, 2006 at 13:50:28 PT

Just woke up from a nap
Good thing to wake up to. Hope this cold goes away now. :)
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 13:37:47 PT

dongenero
As James Brown would sing.I Feel Good Just Like I Knew I Would!
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Comment #8 posted by cloud7 on January 03, 2006 at 13:35:35 PT

Good News
"House lawmakers voted 59-13"Good numbers too.
 
The governor should lose his job. Look at the numbers against him. Around 5 to 1. RI voters should see that he is not a representative of them.
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Comment #7 posted by dongenero on January 03, 2006 at 13:35:13 PT

Congratulations!....
to everyone who is working for this cause!A resounding victory!I hope this represents a gaining momentum of sensibility that will continue to accelerate.
In the meantime, it is a good afternoon to relish this success and pat everyone on the back.It just makes you smile doesn't it? It feels good.

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Comment #6 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 13:31:23 PT

You're Right Kapt
East coast go go go go!
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Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on January 03, 2006 at 13:26:17 PT:

And it's an EASTERN State
The importance of THAT cannot be over-emphasized; the closer to Washington DC, the more of a mindset of (said with wide-eyed disingenuousness) "Well, gee, we can't go against the Federal Gub'mint!" demonstrated by State pols and Governors. Another Eastern State has told Uncle to mind his own business, and lay off its' sick people. I expect more Eastern States to follow suit with laws of their own modelled on RI'sHopefully there will also be a proscriction against local police assisting the Feds in harassing the sick. That would be even better, making it clear the States know the jig is up, and the Feds must do their dirty work alone. Congratulations to all those hard-working reformers in RI! You done *great*, people!
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 13:16:00 PT

12 Plants
I just had to say they are starting to recognize that medicinal cannabis must be grown. No plants no medicine. I hope they keep connecting the dots.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 13:01:22 PT

Rhode Island Legalizes Medical Marijuana
This also is an AP Article but I just love the title!http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/health/13541003.htm
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Comment #2 posted by PainWithNoInsurance on January 03, 2006 at 12:56:05 PT

Democracy is the path to Well Being and Greatness
America is more free today than it was yesterday. Let each and all choose his or her own path in and all of society will prosper.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 03, 2006 at 12:46:17 PT

Victory! 
I want to thank everyone that voted for compassion.
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