cannabisnews.com: NH Governor Vetoes Medicinal Marijuana Bill
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NH Governor Vetoes Medicinal Marijuana Bill
Posted by CN Staff on July 10, 2009 at 09:41:17 PT
By Holly Ramer, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press
Concord, N.H. -- Gov. John Lynch vetoed legislation Friday that would have made New Hampshire the 14th state to legalize marijuana use by severely ill people, citing concerns over distribution and cultivation.Lawmakers had made extensive changes to the bill in hopes of winning over Lynch, who had been critical from the start. But the governor said Friday that the bill still has too many defects.
"I understand and empathize with the advocates for allowing medical marijuana use in New Hampshire. However, the fact remains that marijuana use for any purpose remains illegal under federal law," Lynch said in his veto message."Therefore, if we are to allow its use in New Hampshire for medical purposes, we must ensure that we are implementing the right policy. We cannot set a lower bar for medical marijuana than we do for other controlled substances, and we cannot implement a law that still has serious flaws."The bill passed the House 232-108 last month and the Senate 14-10. Depending on attendance, the House may have the two-thirds support to override, but supporters need two more votes in the Senate.If the veto is overridden, the bill would establish three nonprofit "compassion centers" to dispense 2 ounces of marijuana every 10 days to severely ill patients whose doctors approve the drug's use. The state would license the centers and issue identification cards to their staff, approved patients and their caregivers.Lynch said the bill did not adequately address law enforcement concerns about how the marijuana would have been cultivated and distributed.He said he was particularly concerned about the potential for unauthorized distribution, given that in addition to patients and designated caregivers, an unlimited number of compassion center volunteers also would have access to the drug.And he took issue with the amount of drug allowed to be dispensed, saying the potency of marijuana can vary greatly depending on how it is cultivated.Rep. Cindy Rosenwald, chairwoman of the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee, said she was disappointed with Lynch's decision. Though she opposed similar legislation in past years, she helped win passage of the current bill."This one was so narrow, so tight so restrictive, that I thought, 'Let's leave this up to doctors and patients,'" said Rosenwald, a Nashua Democrat. "We had an opportunity to protect some of our sickest patients."The bill called for more regulation than any other medicinal marijuana law, she said.The bill would make New Hampshire the third state to adopt a "pharmacy model" by licensing the compassion centers to grow and dispense marijuana to patients approved by doctors to receive the drug. Rhode Island and New Mexico have enacted similar models.Other states allow individuals to possess and grow the drugs. Patients also can buy marijuana at stores in California. New Hampshire's bill would not allow individuals to grow marijuana.Supporters argue the proposal is narrower than other states' because patients would have to meet two tests before qualifying for legal use of marijuana.First, they must have a qualifying chronic or terminal illness from a list in the statute that could not be changed administratively.Second, they must not have responded to previously prescribed medication for three months to treat severe nausea, severe vomiting, seizures or severe, persistent muscle spasms. Diseases include cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, hepatitis C while receiving antiviral treatment, and Crohn's disease.But Lynch said the bill does not clearly restrict the use of marijuana to patients who are suffering severe pain, seizures or nausea as a result of a qualifying medical condition.The bill is silent on the cost to patients, but supporters hope contributions will allow them to dispense the drug with little or no cost to patients. According to Lynch, the state's administrative costs would be so high that only the wealthiest patients would be able to afford to pay the resulting fees.Source: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Holly Ramer, Associated Press Writer Published: July 10, 2009 Copyright: 2009 The Associated PressCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #35 posted by Question Authority on July 13, 2009 at 15:17:12 PT
Jump through the hoops first or DIE!
Lynch is right, this bill has many defects (as does Lynch.)"First, they must have a qualifying chronic or terminal illness from a list in the statute that could not be changed administratively.Second, they must not have responded to previously prescribed medication for three months to treat severe nausea, severe vomiting, seizures or severe, persistent muscle spasms. Diseases include cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, hepatitis C while receiving antiviral treatment, and Crohn's disease.The bill called for more regulation than any other medicinal marijuana law, she said.Other states allow individuals to possess and grow the drugs. Patients also can buy marijuana at stores in California. New Hampshire's bill would not allow individuals to grow marijuana."Whaaa? Can't grow my own, so I'll be dependent on the state!Well, why don't they just make terminally ill patients die first? That would make sure nobody gets any cannabis.Three months of pain and suffering first, ONLY THEN you can have a teeny, tiny, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, tiny, teeny bit of MMJ.GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! My head just exploded.
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Comment #34 posted by FoM on July 12, 2009 at 13:07:29 PT
Hope
Actually the commercial is advertising
a debit card. I really like having a debit card.
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Comment #33 posted by FoM on July 12, 2009 at 12:54:29 PT
Hope
That is the most beautiful commerical I have ever seen.
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Comment #32 posted by Hope on July 12, 2009 at 12:40:27 PT
*smile*
Wonderful, FoM!That's so you.
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Comment #31 posted by FoM on July 12, 2009 at 07:21:49 PT
rchandar
If I could put my thoughts in a commercial without advertizing a credit card this would be my pick. We don't watch violent shows. My nephew visited a few weeks ago and he is from the Tampa area. He all of a sudden said your place is so peaceful and quiet. Nature is noisy around here but that's all you hear. We need more good shows on tv.Visa Aquarium :60 TV Commercialhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OC5_wJLxZU
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Comment #30 posted by rchandar on July 12, 2009 at 07:04:36 PT:
But I Will Add...
...I'm still a pretty big opponent of all the violence we show on TV. I think that it is this form that messes with people's thinking, glorifies something that very few people are good at using for any good purpose......we're taught it, from day one. Show after show. Serial after serial. We've misled each other about it: today's generation intuits violence as a legitimate means of stepping up for one's rights. It doesn't work: the world of today is a lot colder that we will give credit for it being.--rchandar
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Comment #29 posted by FoM on July 12, 2009 at 07:02:51 PT
rchandar
The Bush years were a living nightmare for me. Now I see broader thinking and reason being applied and that gives me a great deal of hope.
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Comment #28 posted by rchandar on July 12, 2009 at 06:32:25 PT:
FoM
A lot of us feel that way today--Bush did harm to our country, we're going to take it back.I admit, though, very few of us saw it coming when we were growing up. Reagan was so likeable, everybody went along with him. The seeds were planted, though, right there: first, democracy turned into authority ensuring democracy, to authority being unquestionable, to authority standing without democracy. A slow process, but one that every administration after that made use of.Ricky: "I want to join the army. Get a scholarship, serve my country, learn more about the world (loose translation)"Tre: "You sound just like the commercial! What they don't tell you is, you go in there, and you don't belong to you anymore. You belong to them--the government. Like a slave or something."Ricky: "Listen, man, I have a son. I wanna be somebody."Tre: "Man, you go in that army and you ain't gonna be nobody!"--rchandar
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Comment #27 posted by GeoChemist on July 11, 2009 at 11:14:32 PT
Hope
You're welcome, that's one of my favorite songs. If interested, there's a loner version I think is better.
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on July 11, 2009 at 06:58:22 PT
rchandar
I like that!We, in the Obama generation, are tired of waiting for people who are strong and law-enamored to save us. WE want the RESPONSIBILITY to look after ourselves and our own--THAT is our RIGHT, not a "privilege" that we are glad to forfeit in the name of security.
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Comment #25 posted by rchandar on July 11, 2009 at 06:52:12 PT:
Now, Listen...
(By the way, isn't Phish from there? I may be mistaken).Over the course of the day, you'll be indoctrinated and passively sedated with a lot of useless ideas that, no matter how strong your will is, will weaken your perspective.The people who make money on TV depend upon this logic: your freedom is in immediate danger, there are terrible criminals who want to make you sex slaves or have your noble, wonderful, free society destroyed. More heroes are needed, especially those who take the law into their own hands. Otherwise, without this vigilant and vigorous encorsement of law enforcement, without spying and gathering information to stay that immediate danger, we as human beings are finished. Repeat that, over, and over, and over again.In other words, to borrow from Hobbes's logic: human beings suck. Couldn't ever govern themselves or think for themselves without someone protecting or saving them from themselves. We, in the Obama generation, are tired of waiting for people who are strong and law-enamored to save us. WE want the RESPONSIBILITY to look after ourselves and our own--THAT is our RIGHT, not a "privilege" that we are glad to forfeit in the name of security.I could go on: it's true, we never caught Osama bin Laden. We had eight years to do so: we spent $1 trillion pursuing these dangerous enemies who posed that immediate mortal threat to America.Consequence? I don't think the guy is doing anything right now. I read on MSNBC today that his son is p #sed at him for shooting his dog. Boy, were we misled. I would say, keep bin Laden alive and broke so he can continue to produce the excellent Afghan hashish that we can get in A'dam. He's nobody. And we shouldn't buy into that fearsome logic: we are human beings innately possessed of that responsibility to those we love and care for.--rchandar
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Comment #24 posted by FoM on July 11, 2009 at 06:41:53 PT
Just a Comment
I never really got the same feeling of New Hampshire being progressive but more a conservative state so the Governor even though he is a Democrat appealed to the people of New Hampshire. He is conservative not liberal. I hope the next Governor is a liberal Democrat and maybe he or she will get further down the road on medical marijuana.
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Comment #23 posted by GeoChemist on July 11, 2009 at 06:11:01 PT
OK, one governor
hammered in 800 characters (including spaces) and standard punctuation.....hoops, hoops, and more hoops..........End of line
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Comment #22 posted by GeoChemist on July 11, 2009 at 05:22:03 PT
Live Free or Die
I didn't know that was their state motto or whatever it is. With my new knowledge , I will e-mail Gov. Himmler this morning.....End of line
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Comment #21 posted by rchandar on July 11, 2009 at 04:14:19 PT:
Sam Adams, cont'd
You have to remember what ramshackle idiots these people really are. Like Asa Hutchinson, our glorious DEA head: "don't punt on third down." Or our great leader, John Walters, fighting his "noble crusade" against drugs. These are not people with any intellectual fortitude or open minds, period: they are ideologues who believe America's greatness depends upon conformity and military domination of the masses. They believe that surveillance and spying are good, just like in 1984. Crush 'em.--rchandar
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Comment #20 posted by rchandar on July 11, 2009 at 04:10:15 PT:
Sam Adams
Sam, I am sorry, but in the world of ideological thinking, Governor Lynch's veto will be remembered by conservatives as a patriotic defiance of the evil drug addiction. Books will be written about it, and loudly proclaimed will be some kind of "turning the tide" against the evils of drugs, gangs, and violence. Dummy cards like this veto don't have to stand for long, but less knowledge-enamored people will break out their flags and sing "Hallelujah" for NH.The only kind of victory our side can accept is a comprehensive, total victory. "Momentum" depends upon a really solid success where we win all battles. There will always be big losses ahead, but NH? Any idea how many people smoke bud there? No, override the veto and keep steamrolling.--rchandar
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Comment #19 posted by anunlikelyally on July 11, 2009 at 01:27:09 PT:
Craaaaap
Damn, I sure didn't want to wake up to this kinda bad news. Sad day for the state who's mantra is "Live free or die". I spose Gov. Lynch would rather people live freely in the next life rather than this one. Sad day. Let's hope they have a chance for an override.
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Comment #18 posted by Hope on July 10, 2009 at 20:25:20 PT
That's beautiful, GeoChemist..
It's so odd with such a strong jazz feel to have a violin, but it's just great. Very nice.Thank you.
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Comment #17 posted by GeoChemist on July 10, 2009 at 19:54:06 PT
And is this real....
....or am I dreaming?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywNbf0AXL6Y
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on July 10, 2009 at 17:02:42 PT
Panel Drops Ban on Needle-Exchange Funds
July 10, 2009URL: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=cqmidday-000003163331
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on July 10, 2009 at 17:01:45 PT
US House Democrats Eye Funding for Needle Exchange
July 10, 2009URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5694WU20090710
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on July 10, 2009 at 15:49:34 PT
From E-Mail: Update On Needle Exchange
Harm Reduction Coalition Applauds Removal of Federal Needle Exchange Funding BanFor Immediate Release: July 10, 2009mcquie harmreduction.orgWashington DC -- In the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations bill health sub-committee mark-up this morning, Chairman Obey announced, "this bill deletes the prohibition on the use of funds for needle exchange programs"Rep. Obey's released the following statement on needle exchange:"This bill deletes the prohibition on the use of funds for needle exchange programs. Scientific studies have documented that needle exchange programs, when implemented as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy, are an effective public health intervention for reducing AIDS/HIV infections and do not promote drug use. The judgment we make is that it is time to lift this ban and let State and local jurisdictions determine if they want to pursue this approach.""We are thrilled that House leadership has at last taken these steps to remove the federal funding ban on one of the most successful interventions implemented. This is a historic moment for all who care about fighting the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, and also for all those who want to see policy based on evidence not ideology," said Allan Clear, director of the Harm Reduction Coalition.Advocates such as the Harm Reduction Coalition anticipate they have the support in Congress needed to push back any challenge that may be mounted against needle exchange in full committee, or on the floor.# # # #
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Comment #13 posted by Sam Adams on July 10, 2009 at 15:11:33 PT
Snitch!
great article on the guy they used to "bust" Charles Lynchhttp://www.newtimesslo.com/cover/2892/snitch/
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on July 10, 2009 at 14:44:38 PT
Comment 8
It's dated today and about the speaking engagement, but it sounds like it's referring to Holder's approval of Webb's bill.
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on July 10, 2009 at 14:26:38 PT
Dagman11
I don't know for sure. I hope they are reporting correctly.
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Comment #10 posted by Dagman11 on July 10, 2009 at 14:25:17 PT
Are these statements made by Holder recent?
And is this his official position? Thanks for all the hard work.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on July 10, 2009 at 14:11:36 PT
This Is Really Good News
Excerpt: The chief prosecutor made it plain early on that there will be less drug enforcement in states where medical marijuana has been legalized, and he’s now arguing that drug possession should be dealt with much less severely than it has in the past.http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2009/07/top-cop-holder-to-address-naac.html
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on July 10, 2009 at 14:09:16 PT
Top Cop Holder To Address NAACP Centennial
July 10, 2009He’s walking, talking history in action, and what would the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s centennial conference be without the nation’s first African-American attorney general? So Eric Holder will keynote the NAACP conference Monday in New York City at the Hilton New York, the Justice Department announced today.Holder, who is virtually the opposite of his low-key predecessors Judge Michael Mukasey and Prof. Alberto Gonzales, has been outspoken about matters of race in his first few months in office, famously calling America a “nation of cowards” when it comes to confronting continued divisions stemming from skin color.He also has undoubtedly pleased civil rights leaders with his position against the crack vs. powder cocaine disparity in federal sentencing guidelines, which has always left poor minority defendants who buy rock with longer prison terms than their white counterparts who get busted with the snowy stuff.The top cop also has issued a rallying cry to rethink incarceration, an American experience that also tends to disproportionately harm black communities. In a speech last night to the Vera Institute of Justice in New York, he said the falling crime rate has finally bottomed out while jail and prison populations - and spending in these tough economic times - keeps rising.The chief prosecutor made it plain early on that there will be less drug enforcement in states where medical marijuana has been legalized, and he’s now arguing that drug possession should be dealt with much less severely than it has in the past.“We know that people convicted of drug possession or the sales of small amounts of drugs comprise a significant portion of the prison population,” Holder told the institute. “Indeed, in my 30 years in law enforcement, I have seen far too many young people lose their claim to a future by committing non-violent drug crimes.”More drug courts, is one option, he suggested.- James Gordon MeekCopyright: 2009 Daily News, L.P. URL: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2009/07/top-cop-holder-to-address-naac.html#ixzz0KtQDIJMD&D
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on July 10, 2009 at 12:08:39 PT
Cops don't write or make the laws...
Except whenever they get a chance.Lynch vetoed... overrode the legislation of the entire elected legislature... because the cops didn't want the legislation.A large portion of the citizenry, patients, medical people and the legislature want the legislation... and law enforcement gives it the thumbs down... so ... no?That's some pretty danged signifigant influence coming from those who claim to be merely hired enforcers of the laws, right or wrong, and not legislators.
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on July 10, 2009 at 11:53:11 PT
Sam Comment 5
No. I see your point. It was so bound up in restrictions that it was nearly worthless. But sometimes half a loaf is better than no loaf when it comes to this stuff. If they'd gotten at least this small pittance of relief, we would have seen improvements on that soon, probably.
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on July 10, 2009 at 11:38:36 PT
veto
am I the only one who is glad it didn't pass? Let's wait for a new governor and pass a good bill that allows patient cultivation. Otherwise it could be decades before advocates can pass another bill that allows patients to grow.
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Comment #4 posted by rchandar on July 10, 2009 at 11:08:12 PT:
Everyone
I think we should push hard to override the veto. Momentum is key; even if NH is a small state, Repubs will remember her for years if this is allowed to stand.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on July 10, 2009 at 10:49:58 PT
Zandor
He's a Democrat. The way I see it not all Democrats are liberal. Some hang around the middle somewhere.
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Comment #2 posted by Zandor on July 10, 2009 at 10:33:40 PT
Start a recall of the Governor??
That is one way for the people to get the attention of Republican law makers.Republicans care nothing about the people who did not vote for them or support their point of view. They care nothing for the sick & dying, they don't have enough money to interest the Republicans. Beside sick people are a waste of money to the Republicans. I hope the legislators over ride his veto or else the people VOTE OUT their representative for NOT SIDING WITH THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!!!
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 10, 2009 at 09:43:54 PT
Here's An Expanded AP Article
It will be interesting to see what happens now.
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