NYT: Medical Marijuana? Rhode Island Says Yes

[DeepModem Mom]

Medical Marijuana? Rhode Island Says Yes
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: June 29, 2005


The Rhode Island legislature passed a bill yesterday allowing the use of medical marijuana, three weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities could prosecute those who use the drug for medicinal purposes, even in states with laws allowing it.

The bill passed the State Senate by a vote of 33 to 1 last evening and will head to the desk of Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, who is likely to reject it. Supporters of the bill, which passed the House 52 to 10 last week, are confident they have the necessary three-fifths majority to override a veto and make Rhode Island the 11th state to authorize patients to use the drug.

The law would allow those with a "debilitating medical condition," including cancer, glaucoma and AIDS, to receive a signed statement from their doctor stating they would benefit from marijuana. Patients and their caregivers would be entered into a registry kept by the State Department of Health....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/national/29pot.html?oref=login

[Mari333]

1. hooah for RI

Now lets see the justice dept start putting gramma in handcuffs, as she lies in her hospice bed dying of cancer..

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. Oh, honey,

I watched Richard Nixon's FBI bust Catholic Church bingo games and lead the players out in handcuffs. And that was more than 30 years ago.

Anything's possible. Always was, always will be. That's why we can never be complacent, and that's why our current ennui will be the death of everything we hold dear.

[benburch]

4. What we need is a State to put their police or National Gurard in the way.

MAKE the Feds use armed force to conduct medical marijuana arrests.

[Massacure]

6. Fed national guard orders override state ones.

It's likely to be the state troopers and local police against the federal-ruled national guard if you try that.

It would be even funnier if they declared independance and took the national guard with them though. :P

[benburch]

7. A governor could and should take control of his Guard and do this.

And yes, that would be a Revolutionary act.

Failing that, a Governor has the absolute right to raise a citizen militia.

[Mari333]

5. I remember that also

and the red squad taking pictures of me at protests in 72..the more things change the more they stay the same..

[cannabis_flower]

8. The thing is...

The more states that pass medical marijuana laws, the harder it will be for the feds enforce the law. As it is, they can't go after users and are mostly concentrating on cannabis clubs. If they had cannabis clubs and co-ops in every state in the union it would be difficult for them to make more than a token attempt to shut them down.

[meganmonkey]

3. Wow! 33 to 1?!

That's great. This is not a lost cause.

States will overcome this somehow. And the Feds will just look like assholes for trying to trump it.